Socitm refreshes its low-cost, low-impact Cookie Management Service for local authorities and other public service website owners

Socitm, the professional association for IT and digital professionals, has launched an updated version of its Cookie Management Service for local authorities and other public service website owners.

The Cookie Management Service, developed in partnership with Cookie Reports Ltd, delivers a managed online service that enables public service website owners to meet the requirements of so called 'cookie law' that was introduced in 2011 and which is now being enforced by the Information Commissioner's Officer (ICO).

The service has been updated to take account of new revised guidance from the ICO issued on 24 May 2012. This removed the need for the heavy-handed cookie consent arrangements which had started to appear on websites in the run up to the enforcement deadline, including pop-up screens and other measures to get explicit consent from users before they enter a website.

Such implementations have had a marked effect on visitor numbers and, crucially for public services seeking to monitor channel shift, the ability to capture good web statistics using tools for which 'cookie consent' was deemed to be required.

The new guidance issues by the ICO in May removed the need for such measures, but website owners still need to take steps to comply with the new legislation, including:

• being aware of all cookies on all sites owned, including who has set them, what they are for, and how intrusive they are
• publishing detailed information about these cookies, along with advice about how users can manage or delete them
• ensuring that access to this information is displayed prominently to all site visitors, wherever their visit takes them on sites owned.

The new version of Socitm's Cookie Management Service meets these criteria. It's an online, managed service that is easy for site users to see - a coloured triangle is permanently displayed in the corner of every page of the website - but is not intrusive (or non-compliant) in the way that pop-ups are.

Implementation is simple and fast, and the information displayed is updated automatically with new information about cookies on the website based on a quarterly audit.

By bulk-buying the Cookie Reports service on behalf of local public sector organisations, Socitm has secured significant discounts on fees payable for the service by an individual organisation. Additional discounts are available for Socitm Insight subscribers, with further offers on sign-ups before August 31.

Socitm has implemented the Cookie Reports solution on its own website at http://www.socitm.net

Further information

Vicky Sargent, Socitm Press Office
Tel: 07726 601 139 email: vicky.sargent@socitm.net

Martin Greenwood, Programme Manager, Socitm Insight
Tel: 01926 498703 or 07967 383755 e-mail: martin.greenwood@socitm.net