Providers for cookie notice and user consent on websites - What to consider?

 Anyone who operates a website must deal with the issue of cookie policies. If the cookie notice is not implemented in a DSGVO-compliant manner, warnings can be issued and this can cost money. But that doesn't have to be the case, because there are clear cookie guidelines in terms of what consent must look like and how a cookie notice must be structured. Get to the cookies, get set, is now the motto.

Cookies for everyone - what can they do?

In very general terms, a cookie is something that tracks the user when they visit your website and can collect various data. This can include, for example, the actions performed by the user, but also IP addresses or personal data. In order to be allowed to collect personal data in compliance with the GDPR, the consent of the person must be present.
In relation to cookies, this means that you must obtain the person's consent before collecting any data and before processing it. On your website, you can obtain consent with a cookie notice that is DSGVO compliant.

Designing a cookie notice - what to bear in mind

A cookie notice is a banner or pop-up window that is displayed to the user when they visit your website. Here, the website's cookie policy is presented and the user is prompted to give consent or opt-out.
The cookie notice can be designed to match the visual appearance of the website and fit well into the overall concept. However, when designing it, it is important to make sure that all the necessary cookie guidelines are followed.

Consent to cookie guidelines - design DSGVO compliant

In order for the cookie notice on your website to be DSGVO compliant, you must make sure that the user has the option to explicitly give their consent to the collection of certain data. This means the user must always give their explicit consent before a specific cookie is activated. An exception to this are so-called necessary cookies. The options for consent for the cookies must always be presented in detail here, so that the user has the chance to give consent only for certain cookies. Furthermore, the cookie notice must be structured in such a way that the user can freely give his consent, which means that he must not be forced to give his consent by the design.
If the user has given his consents, you must offer him the possibility that he can easily withdraw his consents. Furthermore, you must ensure that the consent form is kept DSGVO compliant and that a re-consent to the cookies takes place at least once a year.
In short, enforce the cookie policy in a DSGVO compliant manner, then the user has the option to enable certain cookies at any time and reject other cookies on the other hand.

So what now? - What to do?

If you already have a website, then you should immediately check whether all the necessary cookie guidelines are adhered to here. If you find any discrepancies, it is very important to adapt everything to the current cookie guidelines. If everything is just set up anew, then you can directly implement the currently applicable cookie guidelines and you are already on the safe side as far as warnings are concerned.

And a final tip: regularly inform yourself about the current cookie guidelines.