Government websites unprepared for cookie law

Most local councils, police and fire services have not yet taken action to ensure their websites comply with new legislation on cookies, according to an independent audit.

The research, carried out by Socitm into 603 public-sector websites and including the main sites of 433 local authorities, found that only six met the requirements of a law that came into effect in May in response to an EU directive. It requires website owners to provide users with an opportunity to consent to having cookies downloaded onto their computers or mobile devices.

One site had 1,346 cookies and few sites had no cookies at all, while the average number of cookies on each site was 32, the survey revealed.

The Information Commissioner's Office, which is responsible for enforcing the law in the UK, has given all organisations one year to make the necessary changes. Complaints about serious breaches will be investigated during this period.

Socitm pointed out that the law is clear that website owners must be aware of all cookies on their site, whether set by them, or wheher they have been set by third parties.

It recommended that when cookies have been identified and evaluated as necessary for the effective operation of the website, the site owner must choose from a range of options to obtain informed consent from website visits.

Website owners must then monitor cookies, making sure users are aware of new ones and checking regularly for cookies placed by third parties.

This story originally appeared on Guardian Government Computing.