Cookies
A cookie is a small file that is stored on your computer when you visit a website. Cookies contain various information that the website reads when you visit it again. They are used by most modern websites. Cookies are not harmful in themselves, they do not contain viruses or any other malicious code. They are used for various purposes, for sessions (eg logging in to forums), for shopping carts in online stores, for displaying various advanced content on the website (eg maps, video), for keeping statistics of site visits, for supporting social network plug-ins, as well as to display ads tailored to the web user.
The legal restriction on cookies is mainly due to the misuse of cookie technology to track users and thus the invasion of online privacy.
The Office of the Information Commissioner has issued a collection of frequently asked questions about cookies, which can be found here.
Types of cookies
Cookies can have very different ingredients. Good cookies are very useful for visitors, especially for meetings, logins, shopping carts and similar website tasks. Some cookies are especially useful for website owners. For example, they serve to track the amount of traffic, ie the reach of your site, and indirectly also benefit end visitors, as they allow content authors to see which posts on the website are interesting to visitors, and based on feedback, they can bring the site closer to readers. with more interesting content.
However, some cookies, at least from the point of view of the information office, are not good. These tasteless cookies mainly record data about your online activities, which are then processed and passed on to third parties, most often advertisers. For example, different people show different ads online. Everyone sees ads for products and services they are more likely to buy. This allows tracking cookie owners to make more money from advertising.
The Office of the Information Commissioner divides cookies mainly according to invasiveness:
Temporary or session cookies
Persistent or stored cookies
Own cookies
Other cookies
Each type of cookie is treated differently in the legislation and guidelines of the Commissioner, which makes it difficult for website owners and web developers to comply with the Electronic Communications Act (ZEKom-1) and the Personal Data Protection Act. It requires website owners to learn in detail about the privacy of cookies, and to make their web visitors aware of the use of cookies. In the case of more invasive cookies, they must obtain consent from visitors for their use (summarized by piskotki.net).
Cookie legislation
Legislation governing the use of cookies in the European Union (EU) is based on the Electronic Communications Privacy Directive 2002/58 / EC. In this Directive, the article relating to “cookies and similar technologies” has been amended. The Directive was amended by the amended Directive 136/2009.
It was transposed into Slovenian legislation as the “Electronic Communications Act” (ZEKom-1). In Article 157, “Cookies” represents the legal basis on the basis of which Slovenian website owners must ensure the privacy of web visitors. The article requires compliance with the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Act, and at the same time assigns and orders inspections to the Office of the Information Commissioner.