I’m not usually one for making recommendations but CIVIC’s Cookie Control is an ideal option for any startup or SME. Here’s why…
Cookie consent has been a big deal for UK businesses ever since the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation - more commonly known as GDPR. If you want to know all the ins and outs of GDPR, head over to the ICO website (and put aside a few days: it’s not exactly bedtime reading) but here’s a very brief and basic overview.
The TLDR of GDPR
Cookies are, essentially, small pieces of unique data that identify your digital device to the websites you visit. These online identifiers mean websites can remember who you are and what you are interested in. They are, for the most part, incredibly useful and time-saving: it’s cookies that help with auto-filling usernames and passwords, for example, or keep items in your Amazon shopping cart for the next time you log in.
But because cookies often contain information such as your name, address, contact details etc, many people have privacy concerns and are uncomfortable having their browsing habits and personal data tracked, used, or sold on to third parties.
Enter GDPR. The EU’s framework for data protection laws came into existence in 2018 as a replacement for its previous directive from 1995 - a long, long time ago in technology terms. GDPR requires websites to obtain consent for using cookies and give website visitors more control and choice over how their data is used. It’s a legal obligation, and if you don’t comply you can expect a hefty fine of up to 20 million euros, depending on the size and turnover of your organisation.
If you’re in the UK, it’s the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that is GDPR’s enforcer that doles out warnings, reprimands, and punishments for non-compliance. The ICO has a mixed record with regard to success in some of its high-profile cases over the years but you really - really - don’t want to attract its attention, unless you have dozens of top data lawyers offering pro bono available on speed dial. Even if you do, it’s far simpler to just add a cookie consent form to your website.
The only question is, which consent form is best?
The enforcer’s choice: CIVIC Cookie Control
If you want to understand what choice paralysis feels like, google ‘cookie consent form’. There are dozens - if not hundreds - of different options available, some free, some paid; from widgets to templates to banners. I’ve been through scores of them while building my own website recently - time I will never get back.
Eventually, I found CIVIC and its Cookie Control product and I gotta tell you, I’m delighted. Paid, 'PRO' options are available on subscription but I don’t have any need for the extras so I'm using its free Community edition. In all honesty, it has everything you need in terms of form and function. You can style it, brand it, and customise your cookies to suit - but the best thing about it is that it is designed for getting people to give you their cookies. Here’s how it looks on my website:
It looks great, works perfectly, and is very lightweight. GDPR might be boring but this is a neat, smart, and also unobtrusive, as you can see here with the clickable widget at the bottom of this screenshot:
This isn’t my recommendation or a personal review, though. And I definitely don’t have a horse in the cookie consent race. But something worth knowing: it turns out that the ICO itself - as well as a whole bunch of other government organisations - use CIVIC’s Cookie Control, too.
So, if you are worried about whether your consent form is GDPR-proof, there’s no better option than the same one used by the regulators themselves…
