Internet privacy: Cookies as a weapon

摘要

IN NOVEMBER 2009 the European Parliament approved a directive on Internet privacy that, among other things, required user opt-in before web-sites could install cookies on the user's computer.In theory, any U.S. company running a website that may be used by any citizen of any European Union country would have to follow the rules or risk being brought up on charges by an EU country.Over the past two years many EU member states have passed legisla-tion implementing the directive, but the specific requirement for cookie opt-in has remained confusing. The Justice Department of the European Commission has tried to figure out just what might constitute opt-in in the context of the directive. The primary group working on the issue has been the Article 29 Working Party.