Suppose your business happens to be headquartered in the EU or you conduct a significant amount of business with residents of the EU. In that case, you will have to comply with the EU Cookies Directives. This means that you will have to inform your site visitors that you are using cookies and get their consent to use them.
There are several ways you can go about showcasing a cookie consent notification on your site. You can make use of simple banner notifications such as a fixed footer notification or a header notification. You could also opt for a pop-up notice. Â
In this piece, we will take a look at some examples of small business GDPR privacy policies and the kind of wording they use. However, before we get to that, it is vital that we first look at what a cookie policy is and why it’s necessary.
For more help with cookie policies and GDPR compliance with consent management software, connect with Ketch.
Defining A Cookie Policy
The primary goal of a cookie policy is to let visitors to your website or app know that you are using cookies.
At a bare minimum, a good cookie policy should provide the following information:
- the kinds of cookies you are using
- how you are using the cookies
- how your visitor can manage the cookie settings on their devices
Your Cookies Policy is where people will find detailed information regarding your use of cookies and how they can manage the cookie settings on whatever device they might be using.
The Importance Of A Cookie Policy
It is also important that you understand CCPA vs. GDPR because, unless your company is situated in the EU or specifically targets EU residents, you are not required by law to put up a Cookies Policy on your website. You can have a simple clause that addresses your usage of cookies and place it in your Privacy Policy. This will be enough.
On the other hand, if your business happens to be in the EU or targets citizens living in the region, you will be required by the EU Cookies Directive to put up a separate Cookies Policy on your site.
GDPR Cookie Consent Examples
In The (EU)
According to the EU Cookie Directive, one must post an entirely separate Cookies Policy on their site and ensure that any cookie usage complies with EU Cookies Law.
For instance, Amazon's UK site has a specific Cookies Notice that covers the lower half of the homepage. It explains why they use cookies and how the information is used. Amazon’s notice also asks visitors to either accept cookies or customize them. The latter option offers more specific choices to make.
The law also dictates that you inform your end-users and site visitors that you are using cookies. Let them know why you are doing so and get informed consent before placing any cookies on their devices.
In The United States
Businesses and companies headquartered in the US are not required to post a separate Cookies Policy on their site or adhere to the EU Cookies Directive unless they are transacting business with EU citizens. Â Â
Most companies in the US opt to include a Cookies Clause in their Privacy Policy to let end-users know of their presence. Others add information regarding their cookie usage in a section titled We Collect.
For example, ALDO's US Privacy Policy has a Cookies section that describes briefly what cookies are and how they are used.
Summary
Businesses have several options for how and where to display a cookie consent notice on their site. Wherever you place it, it needs to be prominent. Your notice should also inform users of why you are using cookies and what they are consenting to if they accept your use of cookies.
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