Cookies
Learn how website cookies work, the different types of cookies, and how to manage them effectively to stay compliant with privacy regulations. Discover the difference between first-party and third-party cookies, understand session vs persistent cookies, and find out which cookies require explicit user consent under current data protection laws.
Website Compliance: What Regulators Look for in Cookie Consent Reviews
Data protection authorities across Europe are running systematic cookie audits at scale. The UK ICO reviewed its top 1,000 websites in 2025, the Dutch DPA scans 10,000 sites annually, and the French CNIL issued nearly half a billion euros in cookie-related fines last year alone. This article breaks down the exact compliance factors regulators examine and explains how to pass their tests.
Difference Between Personal and Sensitive Information: What Website Owners Must Know
Personal data and sensitive personal data are governed by different legal rules under every major privacy framework. Misclassifying the data your website collects can expose you to higher fines, stricter consent requirements, and enforcement action you did not see coming.
Does GDPR Apply in the U.S.? What American Companies Need to Know
The GDPR does not stop at the EU border. Any American company that offers goods or services to people in the EU, or monitors their online behaviour through cookies and analytics, falls within its scope - regardless of whether the business has a physical presence in Europe.
FADP: How to Achieve Compliance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection
Switzerland's revised Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) has been in force since September 2023, bringing Swiss privacy law closer to the GDPR while retaining several distinctive features. This guide covers who the law applies to, what it demands for cookies and consent, and the practical steps website owners should take to stay compliant.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA): What It Means for Cookie Consent and Your Website
The EU's Digital Markets Act targets the largest digital platforms - Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, ByteDance, and Booking.com - forcing them to obtain proper consent before combining user data or tracking for advertising. Because these gatekeepers now enforce stricter consent policies downstream, every website using Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or similar tools must upgrade its consent management.
Microsoft Clarity Consent Mode: What It Is, How It Works, and How to Stay Compliant
Microsoft Clarity now enforces consent signals for visitors from the EEA, UK, and Switzerland. Without a valid consent mechanism, key features like session recordings and heatmaps are disabled. This guide covers how Clarity Consent Mode works, which cookies require consent, and the technical steps to implement ConsentV2 correctly.
Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA): What Website Owners Need to Know
Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) regulates how organisations collect, use, and disclose personal data - including data gathered through cookies and tracking scripts. With penalties reaching SGD 1 million or 10% of annual turnover, website owners serving Singaporean visitors need to understand their obligations under this law.
Amazon Consent Signal (ACS): What It Is, How It Works, and Why Your Website Needs It
Amazon Consent Signal (ACS) is Amazon's proprietary consent framework for communicating user privacy choices to Amazon Ads. If your website runs Amazon advertising in the UK or EEA, you must pass a valid consent signal - either through IAB TCF or ACS - or risk losing campaign functionality.
WordPress Session Cookies: What They Are, How They Work, and When You Need Consent
WordPress sets several session cookies by default to handle authentication, admin preferences, and comment forms. Most qualify as strictly necessary under the ePrivacy Directive, but third-party plugins and WooCommerce extensions can add session cookies that fall outside that exemption.