The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and various government bodies have had years to get the new cookie law implemented. Despite this the ICO has wavered, procrastinated and changed it’s mind several times. Now, at the 11th hour, it has decided to fundamentally ignore the EU ruling. Over 1,000,000 UK-based sites have spent considerable resource and money developing solutions to the problem, many of which have now been thrown away or, worse still, have to be re-developed. The cost has been huge, £100′s of millions wasted.

All because the ICO can’t find it’s ass with both hands.

This wondrous piece of U-turnery was executed on the last working day before the threat of £50k fines came into force. It may seem a slight change to many but the shift from explicit to implied consent is huge. It’s also, broadly, against the EU rules as it places the onus of comprehension on the site visitor and not the organisation.

Naturally, no-one at the ICO is going to lose their job over this fiasco but it seems like government is, again, costing businesses hard-earned money and resource in a recession. Pointlessly.

I don’t normally rant and I don’t approve really of it but this really boils my blood.

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