Alex Chapman, a partner and head of interactive media at Sheridans, one of Europe’s leading law firms, offers some advice regarding the new ruling and what it means to web sites.
“The law regarding the use of cookies and user tracking tech has recently changed,” says Chapman. “This comes at a time when the use of analytics in games and online services is now commonplace and as a result of the change and the uncertainty that it has brought, it is inevitable that many web site and games operators may unwittingly find them self on the wrong side of the law.”
Chapman continues, “There is a great deal of uncertainty, as to what that means and what operators actually need to do to comply. Indeed that uncertainty exists, even among the experts and those policing the new law. For example, at the time of writing, it would appear that the European Commission still isn’t complying with its own directive.”
As a consequence, a lot of games companies are wondering what they should do. To help you, we’ve set out what the changes should mean to you and have given you some suggestions on how you can deal with them.
Chapman goes into some detail on how companies can comply with the law, but the law and its interpretation is still in flux. “As a result, it is important to take steps now but also to be prepared to react to future guidance,” Chapman notes. “It is fair to say that, over time, operators may be able to take a less intrusive approach to compliance with the regulations. On the other hand, operators may feel it is appropriate to take additional steps to ensure compliance.”
Chapman’s advice in a nutshell:
- 1. Check what cookies / tracking tech you use
- 2. Tell your users what they are and what they do
- 3. Do something that could be deemed to mean that users are happy with your use of cookies
Source: GamesIndustry International
