Websites violate 'cookies' Act

Tens of thousands of Dutch websites place cookies on computers of visitors without prior consent, according to a random tests performed by two Dutch entrepreneurs, Taco Dankers and Gijsbert Boon. They violate the law by doing so. Almost 30 percent of the 600,000 Dutch websites that were probed used tracking cookies without prior consent.

The law dictates websites to obtain explicit permission for the use of cookies, with the exception of functional cookies. Cookies are small files that are either functional or for tracking purposes. An example of a functional cookie is one that keeps track of the contents of a user's online shopping cart. A tracking cookie however keeps track of a user's behavior and may not guarantee the user's privacy.