By Mark Schiefelbein, Wakoopa
Online privacy problems have frequently made international headlines. Facebook rolled out yet another change to its settings that made previously private data public without users’ consent. And the next major retailer was stripped of passwords or credit card details stored without encryption.
The EU ePrivacy Directive – Well Intentioned but Impractical
Not surprisingly, this has gotten the attention of lawmakers who are responding with numerous initiatives aimed at protecting the privacy of consumers, most notably the 2009 amendment of EU ePrivacy directive which is now being turned into individual laws by the member states.
The directive is stringent to say the least, often described as well intentioned but impractical. Milica Antic (@milica_antic) of Amsterdam law firm SOLV does a good job of explaining the issues in her white paper “Cookies Under Control” .
Where Internet marketing firms felt free to use cookies in whichever way they saw helpful in advancing their business, lawmakers responded by imposing far reaching limitations. According to the directive, any technology used to store or access information on any type of device is required to obtain prior ‘clear and comprehensive’ consent.
