There are only a few months left before the enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Companies collecting and processing the personal data of EU citizens have been making adjustments in their internal processes and documentations to ensure that they fully comply with this landmark data privacy and protection legislation. If you haven’t started preparing for it, the best time to do so is now!

What do you need to do? You must ensure that you have stringent measures in place to protect your customers’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or information which can be used to identify a person like his name and address. If you own a website, you must see to it that your online forms (which collect sensitive user information) and your website must be GDPR-ready. This includes getting your visitors’ consent prior to collecting their PII and/or tracking their online behaviour.

The GDPR And Cookie Consent

Cookies are sent from the website to the user’s computer to remember information like if the user is logged in or not, or if the user has already added items in his online shopping cart. It can also be used to remember the user’s login information, username, password and even credit card numbers in the website.

The cookies can also be used as a way of tracking someone’s browsing history. This has become a privacy concern which prompted governing bodies around the world to include provisions on cookies in their data privacy and protection policies. Based on Information Technology (IT) experts, a collection of cookies with other information like IP addresses and other identifiers can be used to come up with a profile and that profile can be used to identify the actual user. In this situation, since cookies can be used to identify an individual through their device, the information becomes personal data.

What Does The GDPR Have To Do With Cookie Consent?

While not all cookies are used in a manner which aids in identifying an individual, most of them do – advertising cookies, analytics cookies, etc. These types of cookies need to comply with the GDPR, specifically when it comes to getting user consent.

As mentioned earlier, users need to give their consent before websites like yours could collect their personal information. A cookie consent’s purpose is the same – it informs users that the website they are accessing uses cookies and it would be their decision to continue browsing the site or not.

Keep in mind, under the GDPR, a first-time visit to your site is no longer an excuse for you to process the user’s data. Furthermore, it is no longer enough to post on your website statements such as “By visiting this site, you accept cookies.” Users need to give their consent via an affirmative action (like clicking the “Accept” button) before you can set cookies in their devices. You must also make sure that users can withdraw their consent anytime.

How do you add a cookie consent on your WordPress website? There are plugins available which you can install in your site. There are several options you can choose from. However, if you want to ensure that the best cookie consent plugin for your site is installed, consider getting the services of a professional WordPress website design company. Aside from helping you comply with EU cookie consent regulations, a reputable website design firm can provide the necessary assistance for your site to become compliant with the GDPR.

So, does your website need cookie consent? The answer is a resounding YES! The laws are changing and your website must comply to avoid costly sanctions!

If you need to add cookie consent to your WordPress website, we can provide you with the assistance you need. Call us at 019609023 today.

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