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Author Topic: New UK Cookie Law - does it effect email open tracking?  (Read 53442 times)

dlthorpe

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New UK Cookie Law - does it effect email open tracking?
« on: February 24, 2012, 12:33:01 PM »

Hi All,

From reading about the new UK cookie law coming in this year, I was under the impression its for cookies only.  Obviously.

But today I read a blog from another Email Service Provider that mentioned it relates to email open tracking too.  Open tracking via the use of a hidden 1x1 image in the email HTML.  Thus when the image is called.  It indicates an email has been opened.

I would like to know what you all think about this?  Do you believe things like open tracking (or even link tracking) are relevant to the cookie law?

Without verifying the information on this URL, here is something from Google on this new cookie law...

http://www.silktide.com/cookielaw

Ta,
D.
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VIN786

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Re: New UK Cookie Law - does it effect email open tracking?
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2012, 08:05:47 AM »

At the moment it is hard to say if it will impact tracking, however, I think the first lawsuit will set precedence on how this law is interpreted.
Although I don't believe in sending text based emails, but they are still sent by lots of mailers, wonder how the legislation would impact that, given that nothing is hidden, not even the links.
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Alsweetex

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Re: New UK Cookie Law - does it effect email open tracking?
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2012, 11:18:34 AM »

I haven't been able to find out too much information about it, but if the law does only relate to cookies then 1x1 images are not cookies and it should be fine.

It may relate to tracking in general though and that you can effectively track any user (through email, on a website or otherwise) by customising every URL you provide to them. This is normally one of the two ways used to get around the fact that HTTP is a stateless protocol.

Fun fact; the website I found first dedicated to teaching about how the new law works automatically left a PHP Session cookie even though it gave the impression that it asks for permission before any cookies are given.
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