New EU cookie law set to come into force

The EU directive that changes internet cookie laws has been passed down to member states today and will come into force in the UK tomorrow.

Changes to the law will now force online businesses to request explicit consent of their users to install cookies on their PC.

Dennis Dayman, e-privacy director at marketing company Eloqua, has been working closely with legislators to formulate the regulation and insists the change is a step in the right direction.

"While the changes in the EU Privacy Directive could hinder a marketer's ability to track individuals over time, what needs to be considered is that as the internet continues to grow, individuals' choices always should be first in marketers' minds, especially in a self-regulatory model," said Dayman.

"Over the last few years we have seen governments stepping in to ensure the law keeps up with technology innovation and to protect the consumer – even in offline marketing or data processing. None of these new regulatory changes should be a surprise to many, nor feared, as privacy and security should be embraced."

The EU directive comes into force today, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has 24 hours to apply it to UK law.

In effect, the changes will be applicable to UK businesses as of tomorrow.