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ARTICLE · 26 APRIL 2019

Taking The Biscuit: Cookies, Online Privacy And GDPR

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On 1 April last, The Irish Times reported on the results of its investigation, based on research compiled by Danish firm CookieBot ...

IrelandPrivacy
Sarah Slevin
Sarah Slevin
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On 1 April last, The Irish Times reported on the results of its investigation, based on research compiled by Danish firm CookieBot, on the use of tracking technologies on the websites of state departments and agencies. The results of this research showed widespread and intensive use of such technology, including cookies, by almost all departmental and local authority websites. The results of the research caused a complaint to be lodged with the Office of the Data Protection Commission by e-privacy firm Castlebridge.

This type of technology enables websites to gather information on website users that may then be used for commercial purposes by it/third parties, including preparing profiles of users for use in targeted advertising. Whilst the use of cookies is nothing new, it is the extent of the use of such technology by state and local authorities that has drawn the ire of privacy advocates.

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