Nearly nine out of ten people (89 per cent) see a new directive from the EU relating to internet cookies and the way they are used by companies as a good thing for consumers, according to IMRG.

The e-retail industry association and eDigitalResearch carried out a survey on the issue ahead of this month's introduction of the new regulations, which will require companies to tell visitors to their website how cookies are being deployed and obtain consent.

Three-quarters (75 per cent) of the online consumers polled by IMRG said they had not heard of the EU directive and of those who had, only 16 per cent knew it would come into effect on May 26th.

When made aware of the new rules and what they entail, 89 per cent of respondents said it would be a positive step for consumers and 79 per cent said the changes are necessary to address the fact that public knowledge about cookies is limited.

Cookies are pieces of data that are shared between internet browsers and websites, allowing sites to remember information such as login details and search history for individual computers.

They can prove useful for people who regularly use parcel delivery services after buying and selling things online and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of people surveyed by IMRG said they are happy for websites to use cookies to improve their browsing experience.

However, eight per cent said they had never heard of cookies and a third (33 per cent) incorrectly believed that they could be used to carry viruses.

Andy Mulcahy, head of communications at IMRG, said: "While many consumers seem to find the whole concept of cookies and what they are used for confusing, the fact that such a high percentage regard the new regulation as a positive step suggests that there is actually a real opportunity for retailers to increase trust and loyalty through a clear, unobtrusive and customer-friendly cookie notification process."

Author:  Paul Burn