Say no to ‘cookies’ cold-callers

Businesses in Gloucestershire should be on the alert for the latest wheeze – cold calls offering so-called ‘expertise’ with a new EU ‘cookies’ law.

The warning comes from a solicitor, who works in our company/commercial team. They said: “We know that businesses in this area have been getting unsolicited calls from companies offering to help them comply with the new law for a fee.

“The only problem is that no one seems to know what the law actually entails … so how to comply with it is anyone’s guess. Businesses would do well to avoid shelling out on a service which may not do what it promises to do.”

The law in question is the EU Cookies Directive. Its basic premise is that websites will now need to gain the user’s consent to store cookies on their device.

Mike Johnson, a director at Fusion Design, our website provider, explained: “The fact is that most sites store cookies of some sort. For example, Google Analytics uses at least three cookies on your browser to allow it to track your passage through a site. Nearly all e-commerce stores use a cookie to allow the website to record your purchase.

“The EU directive, which aims to restrict the use of cookies, is a classic example of muddled and confused thinking. It proved so difficult to implement that it has been given a year’s grace. We are keeping an eye on developments and will be advising our website clients accordingly to ensure that they stay on the right side of the law as and when it changes.”

Our solicitor said: “Any cold caller offering to help you comply with the cookies directive is most likely to be taking advantage of the uncertainty of the new law. If businesses are in doubt, they should contact their legal or IT providers for advice rather than spending money on speculative and questionable service.

If you need clear and pragmatic legal advice, we’re here to help so please get in touch.

Contact us