UK "No Tracking Law" Now In Effect

Fluffeh writes "The British Gov might have more cameras up on street corners than just about anywhere else in the world, but it seems that the Gov doesn't want anyone else stepping on the privacy of their folks. In what the media have dubbed the 'Cookie Law' all operators of websites in Britain must notify users of the tracking that the website does. This doesn't only cover cookies, but all forms of tracking and analytics performed on visitors. While there are potential fines up up to 500,000 pounds (Over US$750,000) for websites not following these new rules, the BBC announced that very few websites are ready, even most of its own sites aren't up to speed — and amusingly even the governments own websites aren't ready."

Comments

do as I say, not as I do.

[Nyder]

Been hearing this my whole life.

Re:do as I say, not as I do.

[Splab]

Silly to post something like this when European obviously aren't around to debunk the crap in TFA.

It's not about the British Government not wanting others to snoop on their citizens; the no cookie law is a European mandate and all member nations are required to implement it within the next few years.

And yes, most sites are going to have some real trouble implementing this.

Re:do as I say, not as I do.

[Splab]

No wonder you are posting as AC, what a load of bollocks. The European Union are by no means toothless, and sure as hell aren't specifically targeting US companies. Last year, some billion euro class fines where handed out to local price cartels, the reason you don't hear about it is a. you got your head stuck firmly in your arse or b. only reading news spoon fed by your US propaganda machines. (Well, one could argue they are the same...)

You maniacs! You blew it up!

[jholyhead]

This is another example of what happens when you let computer illiterate politicians have a say in technology regulations

To be fair, the ICO has proven itself utterly inept when it comes to enforcing its own regulations - I can't see them doing any better with this idiocy.

Re:You maniacs! You blew it up!

[1s44c]

Fascists don't want money, they want power. Money will just turn up as offerings from servants. The fascist dream is an abhorrent crime with a heavy punishment that everyone is guilty of.

Anytime you don't seem subservient enough they lock you up for this crime whilst ignoring everyone else who did nothing to get their attention.

1984 called it 'thought-crime'. The UK government recently re-branded it 'terrorism' and removed the requirement to have any evidence whatsoever. Maybe they want to expand their list of criminals to everyone with a website.

Pretty much emotional stageplay

[Anonymous Coward]

At the same time as this happens across all of Europe, they roll out INDECT and the Data Retention Directive.

How about I follow each of the MEPs around and write down on a list everyone they speak to, when they speak and where, over the course of 6 months? That would probably mark me as a terrorist.

Re:It "might", but it doesn't.

[Anonymous Coward]

The British Gov might have more cameras up on street corners than just about anywhere else in the world

It doesn't, though. The whole "eleventy billion cameras in the UK" thing was made up by one of the screaming right-wing tabloids a few years ago, by counting all the CCTV cameras in about a half-mile stretch of the main street of a fairly scummy part of London, and multiplying by the total length of all the roads in the UK. So, the figure is probably accurate *if* you assume that every single road in the UK has lots of off-licenses, bookmakers, cheque cashing centres, "we buy scrap gold" shops the like - but, it isn't. For the figures to be correct, you'd have to have something like one camera every 60 metres or so on *every single road* right down to farm tracks.

Most cities in the UK have no more CCTV than cities in the US - and if you think US cities don't have CCTV then I wonder what you think CCTV cameras look like...

Slash-groupthink at its best. This is a group that will argue for hours over each subclause of copyright law, but will never question statements like this. (That and figure out that the UK != England).

Re:Idiots

[Anonymous Coward]

Membership in the EU or the EEC is not the same thing as membership in the Euro (i.e. the currency). The UK is very much part of the EU despite not using the Euro.

captcha: "informs"
Fancy that.

Re:Idiots

[jones_supa]

Then by all logic, ain't you in part fault for that by leaving?

Re:Idiots

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

Our press and conservatives required that this happen.

Well, them and a strong majority of the British public consistently wanting to stay out of the Euro. But this is Slashdot, so let's not let facts get in the way of a good rant.

And of course, jokes about similarity aside, the Tories haven't actually been the ones running the show since Tony Blair's first New Labour administration took office in 1997. The Conservatives have been the more powerful party in the current coalition since 2010, but for some reason, in the past couple of years no-one from any major UK party has been suggesting that we join the Euro any time soon.

our conservatives are so right wing that they are the most right-wing mainstream party in Europe.

I don't know how true that is, but in any case, the politics in most countries in Europe is rather strongly left-leaning by global standards, in much the same way that both the main parties in the US would be regarded as quite far to the right on a global scale.

Both of these nasty groups are overjoyed at the financial problems in the Eurozone.

Yes, because what we really need right now is for some of our closest neighbours and major trading partners to suffer severe financial problems that will keep our own economy down for a few more years without anything we can do about it. That will definitely help to advance the interests of both of the groups you mentioned, and of course to help the Conservatives to win the next general election outright as they presumably want to.