Your Guide to Privacy Regulations and Cookie Tracking

Did you know that cookies were invented in 1994 by Lou Montulli while he was working for Netscape? Without cookies or a tracking technology, websites are truly blind and deaf to who is visiting their virtual storefront. This is why companies have come to rely on cookie tracking because it helps them learn more about who is visiting and use that information to serve their customers better.

Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of privacy regulations and cookie tracking.

Web Tracking Laws

Due to developments in data privacy legislation, there are more requirements for companies to disclose to their online visitors how they store, track, and use the visitor data that they collect. One of these is called GDRP (General Data Protection Regulation).

GDRP regulates how a company can handle data from individuals that visit from the EU. It does not matter where the company is based they still have to comply with GDRP if the person is browsing while they are located in the EU.

Another web tracking law is called the LGPD (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados). This law regulates how any personal data from residents of Brazil is processed and collected. Just like the GDRP law, it does not matter where the business is based out of.

A third law that was put in place is the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). This is a web tracking law that protects the personal data of those living in the state of California in the United States. There are also lead forensics alternatives available for businesses to help them stay in compliance.

Can Cookies Be Blocked?

As an online user, you have rights as well. You can choose to turn on the DNT (Do Not Track) setting in your browser if you choose to not be tracked. You can also opt to book third-party cookies via your privacy and security settings.

Keep in mind that when you block all cookies, most websites will not work correctly. Another option as a user is to delete your cookies. You can choose to manually delete your cookies regularly or you can set your browser to automatically delete all cookies when you close the browser.

VPNs

There are Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that you can install to hide your IP address from websites. Although this will not stop a website from tracking you through pixels, fingerprinting, or cookies it will stop your Internet Service Provider from collecting data on the websites that you browse.

Feeling Like a Cookie Tracking Pro?

We hope that now that you learned more about cookie tracking and privacy regulations, you can make informed decisions on whether you want to edit your website cookies preferences on your web browsers.

If our techy article gave you some insight today, feel free to keep browsing the rest of our technology section for more tips and tricks.