From May 2011 a new privacy law came into effect across the EU. The law requires that websites ask visitors for consent to use most web cookies. This plugin will make your site compliant at the touch of a button.
Demo URL : wp.scott.ee
Login: administrator / administrator
About the Law
The law was created with the best of intentions but its implementation has not been very well thought out. Different countries within the EU also require different approaches. The short of it all is that any cookies that are not essential for the websites function should not be set without the express permission of the user first.
Essential cookies include those for logging in and shopping carts. Non essential cookies are generally set by tracking scripts such as Google Analytics and social media buttons. In the UK the maximum fine for non-compliance is £500,000. For more information I recommend you have a look at:
Plugin Features
- EU Only – Enable the notification and cookie blocking for visitors within the EU only
- Linkable – Directly link visitors to a cookie enabled site by adding ?cookies=1 to any page on your site
- Themeable – Easy options for choosing notification colour, position and timeout
- No Adverts – An additional option to remove your websites adverts
- CSS – Create your own stylesheet for a completely custom look
How does it work?
First off we check the IP address of the visitor. If they appear to be outside of the EU then the plugin is not loaded. Next we scan your sites HTML for scripts and tools that do not comply with the directive, such as Google Analytics, twitter and Facebook social buttons. These scripts are removed from the page and a customisable notification is shown to the user inviting them to “accept cookies”. Once they accept cookies the preference is remembered for one year and your cookie setting scripts jump back to life.
What does it currently block?
- Google Analytics
- WordPress.com Stats
- Twitter Tweet Buttons
- Tweetmeme
- Facebook Like Buttons
- Google+ Buttons
- StumbleUpon
- Digg
- ShareThis
- AddThis
- Parse.ly
- KISSmetrics
- Peerius
- Clicky
- Doubleclick / Google Adsense (optional)
- BuySellAds (optional)
- Skimlinks (optional)
- Adbrite (optional)
But my site uses xxx.js tracker/adverts…
I’m glad you said that. There are thousands of potential tracking scripts present across the web and they are not particularly easy to locate. I would like to invite you to make suggestions and provide links to other services that set cookies in the comments section. I can then extend the checks to remove more third party tools in future.
How can I test what is setting cookies and if it’s working?
There are three things you should do:
- View the source of your site with the plugin active. We add a comment to the very bottom indicating how many cookie settings scripts have been removed
- Install Ghostery for your browser to highlight tracking scripts as you browse the web
- Install the Web Developer toolbar to see which scripts are actually settings cookies
Version 1.0
- Initial release