Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Third Party Cookies

Are you aware of how third-party cookies work in the digital trail you leave behind while browsing the web? 

User privacy and data protection have become paramount in our fast-paced digital world.

Websites frequently use numerous monitoring technologies to deliver tailored experiences. However, using third-party cookies has drawn criticism due to potential privacy issues.

Today’s digital ecosystem places a high value on user consent for cookies for various reasons, with user privacy, data security, and legal compliance as the main reasons.

The following considerations highlight the importance of cookie consent—legal compliance, user experience, privacy protection, avoiding fines, and many other issues. 

This comprehensive article will lead you through the world of third party cookies, offering insights, solutions, and, most importantly, a lifeline in the form of the Cookie Consent plugin.

Understanding Third-Party Cookies

Understanding what third party cookies are and why they are a hot-button issue is critical before getting into the specifics of consent management.

What Are Third-Party Cookies?

A third-party cookie can be referred as a cookie saved on a user’s web browser by a website other than the one they currently view is known as a third-party cookie.

These cookies track user activity on many websites, enabling analytics and advertising companies to gather information and build comprehensive user profiles.

Although third-party cookies offer a wide range of uses, the possibility of intrusive data collection without user consent has raised privacy concerns.

What Do Third-Party Cookies Do?

Third-party cookies work by enabling the transfer of data across multiple websites. Third-party components, such as embedded advertisements or social media plugins, might place cookies on a user’s browser when they access a website that contains these third-party cookies. 

Instructions are transmitted to set cookies on the user’s device when the browser loads scripts or content from certain third-party domains. These cookies, which frequently have a recognizable identity, collect information on how users interact with various websites. 

This data is utilized for purposes such as site analytics and targeted advertising. However, it’s vital to remember that third-party cookies have recently been subject to stricter regulations due to legislative changes and privacy concerns. 

Several web browsers have implemented measures to prevent or limit their use to protect user privacy.

How Does Third-Party Cookies Impact User Privacy?

The use of third-party cookies has raised significant concerns regarding user privacy. They allow extensive tracking of users’ online behavior without explicit consent, leading to privacy breaches and user discomfort.

This may lead them to access private data, including medical history, sexual orientation, gender identity, and even political affiliation, as it is set as cookies on various websites.

Pros & Cons of Using Third-Party Cookies?

Using third-party cookies for web-based marketing and tracking has some pros and cons. Here are some pros and cons:

Pros:

• Enhanced User Experience: They can personalize content and advertisements, improving user experience.
• Analytics: Third party cookies help website owners gather valuable data about user behavior.

Cons:

• Privacy Concerns: They raise serious privacy concerns as users are often unaware of the extent of tracking.
• Data Security: Third-party cookies can be exploited by malicious cookies if not managed correctly, leading to data breaches.

Legal Framework: GDPR, CCPA, and Cookie Consent

Complying with data protection and privacy legislation is essential for websites and online companies to secure user data and prevent legal consequences. 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are two of the most well-known data protection laws. Additionally, to comply with these laws, cookie consent is needed. 

GDPR

• Compliance Requirements: Websites or businesses must comply with GDPR, regardless of location. It has to comply with GDPR, a rule of the European Union that applies to any organization that handles the personal data of people living in the EU. 
• Consequences of Non-Compliance: Failure to comply with GDPR can be subject to a fine of €20 million, or 4% more or less of its global annual revenue, whichever is larger. 
• How Non-Compliance Can Impact Your Website: If your website violates GDPR law, European authorities may file a lawsuit against you, and you might be subject to significant fines if EU users’ complaints about your website could compel you to change your data processing procedures majorly.

CCPA

• Compliance Requirements: The CCPA is a California state legislation that applies to enterprises that gather and handle personal data about California citizens. The provision of opt-out methods, disclosure of user rights, and data security are essential compliance considerations.
• Consequences of Non-Compliance: Violations of the CCPA may incur penalties of up to $7,500. Users can also sue non-compliant companies, which might result in significant financial damages.
• How Non-Compliance Affects Your Website: California authorities and users may file lawsuits against websites violating the CCPA. Additionally, it might damage the credibility and reputation of your company, mainly if you deal with sensitive customer data. 

Cookie Consent

• Compliance Requirements: Cookie consent is not a regulation but is often required to comply with GDPR and similar privacy laws. Websites must obtain informed and specific consent from users before placing cookies or tracking technologies on their devices. Give users straightforward information about the types of cookies used, their purposes, and the option to opt in or out.
• Implications of Non-Compliance: Non-compliance with cookie consent requirements can result in penalties under GDPR or other applicable regulations. It can also lead to user complaints and damage your website’s trustworthiness.
• How Non-Compliance Affects Your Website: Failure to obtain proper cookie consent can result in regulatory actions and fines. It can also hinder user experience if users feel their privacy needs to be respected, potentially reducing website engagement.

Is There A Phase-Out of Third-Party Cookies in Progress?

Major online browsers like Google Chrome have planned to phase out third-party cookies to improve user privacy gradually. So, depending only on third party cookies for monitoring and personalization will lose some effectiveness.

What happens to consent banners following Chrome’s phase-out?

As third-party cookies become less viable, the role of consent banners in managing first-party cookies and user data becomes even more critical. WP Cookie Consent can continue to play a pivotal role in managing first-party cookies and ensuring compliance.

What Other Options Exist as Alternatives to Third Party Cookies

Website owners are exploring alternative methods for tracking and personalization, such as first-party cookies, server-side tracking, and contextual advertising. These methods provide more privacy-friendly alternatives while delivering valuable insights and personalized experiences.

Introducing WP Cookie Consent

WP Cookie Consent is a robust and easy-to-use plugin designed specifically for WordPress websites to ensure cookie compliance with ease. In today’s digital landscape, client security and data protection are vital, and this Plugin helps website owners with the tools they need to respect these concerns while maintaining a seamless user experience.

With WP Cookie Consent, you can easily make and customize cookie consent popups that illuminate your website visitors about the utilization of cookies and request their consent. 

WP Cookie Consent Features

Here’s why this Plugin stands out as the perfect solution for your cookie consent needs:

• User-Friendly Setup: The setup procedure for WP Cookie Consent is simple. You don’t need to be a tech expert to configure it for your website.
• Customization Options: The Plugin offers a variety of customization options so you can match the cookie consent banner’s appearance and feel to the style and branding of your website. Colors, typefaces, texts, and the consent banner’s positioning may change.
• Compliance with Cookie Laws: Developers have designed this Plugin to assist you in complying with various cookie consent laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive.
• Granular Cookie Control: Using this Plugin, you can classify the cookies on your website and give visitors the choice of accepting or rejecting particular cookie kinds. This degree of openness shows your dedication to privacy and improves user confidence.
• Geotargeting: WP Cookie Consent provides geolocation capability if your website serves a global audience. Depending on the user’s location, it can display various permission notifications, guaranteeing adherence to local privacy regulations.
• Automatic Cookie Blocking: It automatically blocks specific kinds of cookies until the user expressly consents, assisting you in maintaining compliance while delivering a seamless surfing experience. 
• Regular Updates and Support: The Plugin is regularly updated and supported, ensuring it is compatible with the most recent WordPress versions and compliant with changing privacy rules.

Installing WP Cookie Consent 

Let’s start installing the WP Cookie Consent plugin for free and the Premium version. 

Open your WordPress dashboard, hover on Plugin, and click Add New.

Search the Plugin in the search bar – WP Cookie Consent.

You will see the following Plugin in the search option. Click on the Install Now button.

Click on Activate after installing the Plugin.

Once activated, It will be visible in the dashboard.

Note: You must install and activate the most recent free version of the WP Cookie Consent plugin following the procedures outlined above before activating the premium version. You must buy the WP Cookie Consent Pro plugin to obtain the pro-Plugin’s zip.

Now, let’s install the Premium version of the Plugin.

Open your WordPress dashboard and hover on Plugin> Add New. 

Click the Upload Plugin button.

Next, click the Choose File button, upload the Zip file you received in the mail, and click the Install Now button.

Click on  Activate Plugin. 

Now, to Activate the Plugin, click on the Click Now Button.  

Enter the API and Product Key and click on save changes.

That’s all! Your WP Cookie Consent premium version is now installed and activated. 

Configuring Your Cookie Consent Banner

WP Cookie Consent provides a range of customization options for your cookie consent banner. You can choose colors, fonts, and banner positions that align with your website’s design and branding. 

Hover on WP Cookie Consent plugin on the dashboard and click on Cookie Settings.

To further adjust your cookie consent banner based on your needs, Click on the Compliances tab.

Compliances tab

The compliance tab has six cards- Cookie Notice, Enable Visitor Conditions, Privacy Policy Settings, Revoke Consent, Consent Settings, and Extra Settings. 

Note: We will discuss the critical three cards from the compliance tab. 

Cookie Notice

• To make sure the cookie consent is live on the website, enable Cookie Notice.
• Select the Law that suits your website traffic. 
• Mention any heading messages you want to show on your cookie banner. 
• Write the GDPR or any other message you want your website visitors to know. 

Enable Visitor Conditions

This option allows you to show your cookie consent only to EU users. 

Privacy Policy Settings

These settings will help you add a Privacy Policy link to your cookie banners with some customization options. 

Configuration

The configuration tab has two cards- Configure Cookie Bar and Cookie Bar Template.

Configure Cookie Bar

• We can customize the cookie banner by selecting how to show the Cookie Notice.
• Choose the position for the banner to appear.
• On hide, options disappear or animate once the visitor accepts or rejects the cookie settings.
• Visitors have control over how the Cookie Bar functions when a website loads.

Cookie Bar Template

Here, you may choose from various layouts that go with the layout of your website.

Design 

To further customize the cookie banner, switch to the Design tab. 

The design tab has five cards- Cookie Bar Body, Accept Button, Accept All Button, Decline Button, and Settings Button. 

Cookie Bar Body Design 

In this card, you can make any changes to the cookie banners, from font size, color, width, border color, logo, and more. 

Buttons

Regarding the Accept, Accept All, Decline, and Settings buttons, a popup window with the button choices will open when you click the Configure Button for advanced settings.

Navigating Third-Party Cookies with WP Cookie Consent,

You must be able to read third-party cookies for your website to abide by privacy laws like the CCPA and the General Data Protection Regulation. Here is the information on how to utilize the WP Cookie Consent if you are working with third-party cookies.

Identifying Third-Party Cookies on Your Website

Hover on the WP Cookie Consent plugin to identify third-party cookies and click Cookie Settings.

Now, click on the Cookie List tab. The cookie list has two cards – Custom Cookies and Discovered Cookies.

Click the Scan Now button From the Discovered Cookies card. 

Once the scan is complete, You will see all the third-party cookies on your website. 

You can consistently Implement cookie consent mechanisms by selecting the category of the third-party cookie. I.e., Mentioning where it is Necessary, Analytics, Marketing, or Unclassified. 

Advanced Features for Cookie Management

WP Cookie Consent makes it possible to ban certain third-party cookies quickly. With this feature, you can be sure that your website complies with user preferences and privacy rules.

Blocking Third-Party Cookies

To block third-party cookies on your website, follow these steps.

Click on Script Blocker

Script Blocker has 1 card – Script Blocker Settings. 

The fields under Script Blocker Settings are as follows:

• Script Blocker – Use the toggle button to turn the script blocker on or off.
• Custom Scripts – Input any scripts (such as Google Analytics) that require cookies to be functional once consent is granted.
• Header Scripts-Header scripts included in the header are known as header scripts.
• Body Scripts – Insert the script into the body.
• Footer Scripts -Insert the script in the footer.

Granular Consent Controls

To manually choose the cookie categories, click here. – You can change the category of each third-party script by selecting the Advanced Settings button and utilizing the available dropdown options.

When Script Blocker is enabled, it will save cookies from third-party scripts (such as Google Analytics, YouTube video embeds, etc.) on visitors’ browsers in accordance with their cookie choices.

Third-party services cannot run on a user’s browser if they choose to turn off marketing cookies. The script blocker is off by default.

If the script blocker is preventing any cookies from being set that are necessary to show content, visitors will get a warning asking them to accept specific categories of cookies.

 Frequently Asked Questions about Cookie Consent

Conclusion 

Key components of the digital world are adherence to regulatory frameworks and respect for user privacy. 

While navigating the realm of third-party cookies may be challenging, solutions like WP Cookie Consent are getting better and better at attaining compliance while offering a great user experience. 

In addition to being a legal obligation, deploying powerful cookie consent methods is crucial in improving trust and transparency between websites and their users. 

You’ve liked reading this article, don’t forget to check our other similar articles:

• Understanding Cookie Consent: A Guide For Website Owners
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• Legal Pages For Your eCommerce Store You Can’t Afford to Ignore
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Create A Cookie Consent Banner Design

Grab the WP Cookie Consent plugin to build compliant websites.