Website cookies are tiny text files that websites place on your devices while you browse. They store a wealth of data that can potentially identify users, even without end-user consent, perhaps explaining why some authorities have waged war against them.
Of all the websites that use cookies, 76.8% use non-secure cookies. That means users’ data is vulnerable to hacking by cybercriminals.
It’s almost impossible to avoid a website not using cookies in your daily web surfing as most popular websites such as Google, YouTube, Yahoo, and Wikipedia all use cookies.
Upon learning of the dangers posed by cookies, it’s easy to see why 89% of UK consumers approved of the EU GDPR cookie law.
So, let’s look at how you can harness website cookies, end-user consent, cookie consent, GDPR, CCPA, and cookie management to use cookies ethically and stay on the right side of the law.
Is a website cookie consent tool necessary?
One of the perks of running a website is that anyone worldwide can view it. While you may set your website to collect cookies based on the lax US cookie laws, not all countries worldwide have taken such a laissez-faire approach to cookie consent.
For instance, if some of your customers include European residents, you must gain end-user consent before collecting data from them.
Those are the compliance rules stipulated by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), one of the world’s strictest privacy laws.
Similarly, if your website features California visitors, you must comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). You also need to provide an “opt-out” option for these users.
With the rapid implementation of privacy laws worldwide, it would be challenging to stay abreast of them without a cookie consent tool.
Best Practices for Cookie Management
1. Customizable cookie banner
Every website owner should have a cookie banner to comply with data privacy laws. The cookie policy should be thorough and technically exhaustive to meet the CCPA, GDPR, and other global cookie consent requirements.
Finally, add a personal touch by configuring the banner to match your brand’s color, text, and styling.
2. Multi-language support
Multi-lingual support detects a user’s browser language preferences, so you can display the cookie consent in a language they understand. Additionally, include geo-targeted consent banner models based on users’ region, state, or country.
3. Keep updated
Constantly stay up to date with global compliance laws. If you have multiple websites, keep track of the general settings on all of them.
Lastly, keep records of any modifications made to your cookie banners for easy access to the historical audit log.
4. Cookie consent dashboard
Vital for visualizing, searching, tracking, and filtering all the consent metrics across multiple channels under one platform.
It becomes easy to identify active cookies, cookie consent on each domain, first and third-party cookies, and automate cookie reporting.
Collecting compliant end-user consents the right way
To maintain cookie consent compliance, undertake the following:
Inform users of the kind of data your website is collecting
Empower the end-user to opt-in or out of data collection
Get a clear yes or no consent. Leave no room for ambiguity
Acquire end-user consent before processing any of their data
Make it easy to withdraw consent
Ensure the user holds the right to be forgotten and have all their personal data deleted
There must be an audit-ready trail of documentation for given consent
Complying With Cookie Consent Requirements
It would be best if you constantly stay updated with privacy laws such as the CCPA and the GDPR to stay on the right side of the law.
The right cookie consent management platform would ensure end-user consent compliance while enabling automated cookie reporting, cookie identification, cookie search, and scrutinizing cookie consent on each domain.
If you are a brand, business, agency, or publisher collecting, storing, or sharing PII (Personally Identifiable Information), then take the first step towards becoming data privacy compliant.
Showing your consumers that you respect their right to privacy and consent with the Adzapier Consent Management Platform. Subscribe to claim Adzapier CMP free for 30 days.