Question

I have a web site to do with alcohol that needs to verify the age before letting them on to the web site. I do this with a HttpModule that checks for a cookie and if not set I redirect them to the validation page. I validate their age and store a cookie containing a boolean to whether they have been validated or not.

How would this fit into the cookie law, as I cannot find any examples like this out there?

Do I still need to get consent to store the cookie or is this kind of thing exempt?

I’ve done searches, I cannot find any thing that answers this sort of thing.

Thanks

Answer 1

Taken from this guidelines PDF linked on this page from the UK Information commissions office…

There is an exception to the requirement to provide information about cookies and obtain consent where the use of the cookie is:

(a) for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network; or

(b) where such storage or access is strictly necessary for the provision of an information society service requested by the subscriber or user.

I think your case would fall under (b) but this is of course open to interpretation.