Saving cookies allows websites to remember your preferences. You may be wondering why lately more and more websites are warning you that they store cookies, even requiring you to agree by doing click in their link which usually has the title "Got it", to remove the annoying pop-up message. The window also allows you to see relevant information about all of this. The answer lies in a new law passed under the European Union's e-Privacy Directive.
Specifically, the law states:
a person cannot store or acquire access to information stored in the subscriber's or user's terminal equipment, unless the requirements of paragraph (2) are met.
(2) The requirements are that the subscriber or user of that terminal:
(a) has clear and detailed information about the purposes of the storage or access in this information, and
(b) has given his / her consent.
6 Privacy Policy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) [2003 Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulation]
The law essentially says that when people visit a website they store cookies in their browser, need to know about this storage. You should also be aware of the meaning of storing these coaches and they should agree in this.
There are exceptions to the law. When saving a cookie is absolutely necessary, for example without saving the cookies you cannot use a service of a website, the website does not need to ask for your consent to save a cookie. It is assumed that you accept it by using the website or its service. For example; You enter Amazon without logging in and add various items to your shopping cart. Then you leave the page and when you come back the next day and log in you will see that there are still those items in your cart. The products that you had chosen are stored in cookies.
But there are also good news that cookies on the site and third-party advertisers are not exempt from law and will require user approval to be stored in their browser.
You can read the comprehensive directive issued by the International Bureau of the Commissioner from here.
