Our site uses Google Analytics to improve your Beauvale Experience
Most modern websites have web tracking for collecting information about visitors to the site. The most popular free analytics package is undoubtedly Google Analytics, which is found in use at around 57% of the 10,000 most popular websites - including the likes of New York Times, Washington Post, Mashable and Twitter.
The Google Analytics Tracking Code is set by JavaScript and augmented by the proprietary GA tool. It sets four cookies automatically, and a fifth via opt-in (this relates to sharing information about your traffic with Google).
Google Analytics sets a first party cookie. The EU Cookie Directive stipulates that all cookies must be given "consent". Because Google Analytics is first party cookie consent is needed only once. In other instances where a third party cookie is deployed a new consent for each deployment would be needed. For example each time a user visited a site.
Google has previously agreed with the EU that Google Analytics cookies would be limited to a 24 month lifespan. Prior to this Google set anything up to and beyond a 30 year expiry on cookie files.
In early May 2011 the ICO issued guidelines on how to interpret the new EU Cookie Law. In a document entitled "Changes to the rules on using cookies and similar technologies for storing information" they say: "An analytic cookie might not appear to be as intrusive as others that might track a user across multiple sites but you still need consent.
"One possible solution might be to place some text in the footer or header of the web page which is highlighted or which turns into a scrolling piece of text when you want to set a cookie on the user's device." This is what Beauvale has done. Every page where we collect data shows a symbol that looks like a CCTV.
Google Analytics sets first party cookie, however many accounts have the opt-out setting active to "true" which Google allows to anonymously track website metrics for the purposes of "benchmarking". Google says this information is used to categorize a website and show a relative performance line in visit graphs. This shows how well a website benchmarks for that category.
The ICO guidance says: "If the information collected about website use is passed to a third party you should make this absolutely clear to the user. You should review what this third party does with the information about your website visitors." Therefore in the instance of "benchmarking" it is clear consent must be achieved for a website to pass information to Google. No information collected by Beauvale is every passed to a third party.
Google Cookie Compliance
Google Analytics and the EU Cookie Law compliance could vary from country to country within the 27 state member areas. The more likely cookie law analytics solution will come via modification of the current Google analytics code, and/or an add-on, special dispensation from the requisite ICO office in that country or a browser solution through Google Chrome for instance. The UKICO office has already published information on using cookies. In time, Google might ask site owners to update their privacy policy, browsers may be engineered to include a universal consent or opt out button, similar to Do-Not-Track (DNT). Admittedly anything is possible. We will update our policies accordingly.
In the past the EU's Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive applied to user data, and this was largely interpreted to relate to e-mail data storage. The 'EU cookie directive builds on this - no surprise you might say in light of the huge increase of seller side platforms (SSP), demand side platforms (DSPs), retargeting, tracking, ad-optimization and real-time bidding and personalization.
Google Analytics May 26 2012
As of May 26th only Google, Adobe Omniture, WebTrends and StatCounter had given official statements on handling EU E-Privacy Directive. Beauvale uses Google and StatCounter only.
Google Analytics Cookies
Globally and in the European Union member states Google sets the following cookies:
__utma Cookie
A persistent cookie - remains on a computer, unless it expires or the cookie cache is cleared. It tracks visitors. Metrics associated with the Google __utma cookie include: first visit (unique visit), last visit (returning visit). This also includes Days and Visits to purchase calculations which afford ecommerce websites with data intelligence around purchasing sales funnels.
__utmb Cookie & __utmc Cookies
These cookies work in tandem to calculate visit length. Google __utmb cookie demarks the exact arrival time, then Google __utmc registers the precise exit time of the user.
Because __utmb counts entrance visits, it is a session cookie, and expires at the end of the session, e.g. when the user leaves the page. A timestamp of 30 minutes must pass before Google cookie __utmc expires. Given__utmc cannot tell if a browser or website session ends. Therefore, if no new page view is recorded in 30 minutes the cookie is expired.
This is a standard 'grace period' in web analytics. Ominture and WebTrends among many others follow the same procedure.
__utmz Cookie
Cookie __utmz monitors the HTTP Referrer and notes where a visitor arrived from, with the referrer siloed into type (Search engine (organic or cpc), direct, social and unaccounted). From the HTTP Referrer the __utmz Cookie also registers, what keyword generated the visit plus geolocation data.
This cookie lasts six months. In tracking terms this Cookie is perhaps the most important as it will tell you about your traffic and help with conversion information such as what source / medium / keyword to attribute for a Goal Conversion.
__utmv Cookie
Google __utmv Cookie lasts "forever". It is a persistant cookie. It is used for segmentation, data experimentation and the __utmv works hand in hand with the __utmz cookie to improve cookie targeting capabilities.
The Google Analytics Tracking Code is set by JavaScript and augmented by the proprietary GA tool. It sets four cookies automatically, and a fifth via opt-in (this relates to sharing information about your traffic with Google).
Google Analytics sets a first party cookie. The EU Cookie Directive stipulates that all cookies must be given "consent". Because Google Analytics is first party cookie consent is needed only once. In other instances where a third party cookie is deployed a new consent for each deployment would be needed. For example each time a user visited a site.
Google has previously agreed with the EU that Google Analytics cookies would be limited to a 24 month lifespan. Prior to this Google set anything up to and beyond a 30 year expiry on cookie files.
In early May 2011 the ICO issued guidelines on how to interpret the new EU Cookie Law. In a document entitled "Changes to the rules on using cookies and similar technologies for storing information" they say: "An analytic cookie might not appear to be as intrusive as others that might track a user across multiple sites but you still need consent.
"One possible solution might be to place some text in the footer or header of the web page which is highlighted or which turns into a scrolling piece of text when you want to set a cookie on the user's device." This is what Beauvale has done. Every page where we collect data shows a symbol that looks like a CCTV.
Google Analytics sets first party cookie, however many accounts have the opt-out setting active to "true" which Google allows to anonymously track website metrics for the purposes of "benchmarking". Google says this information is used to categorize a website and show a relative performance line in visit graphs. This shows how well a website benchmarks for that category.
The ICO guidance says: "If the information collected about website use is passed to a third party you should make this absolutely clear to the user. You should review what this third party does with the information about your website visitors." Therefore in the instance of "benchmarking" it is clear consent must be achieved for a website to pass information to Google. No information collected by Beauvale is every passed to a third party.
Google Cookie Compliance
Google Analytics and the EU Cookie Law compliance could vary from country to country within the 27 state member areas. The more likely cookie law analytics solution will come via modification of the current Google analytics code, and/or an add-on, special dispensation from the requisite ICO office in that country or a browser solution through Google Chrome for instance. The UKICO office has already published information on using cookies. In time, Google might ask site owners to update their privacy policy, browsers may be engineered to include a universal consent or opt out button, similar to Do-Not-Track (DNT). Admittedly anything is possible. We will update our policies accordingly.
In the past the EU's Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive applied to user data, and this was largely interpreted to relate to e-mail data storage. The 'EU cookie directive builds on this - no surprise you might say in light of the huge increase of seller side platforms (SSP), demand side platforms (DSPs), retargeting, tracking, ad-optimization and real-time bidding and personalization.
Google Analytics May 26 2012
As of May 26th only Google, Adobe Omniture, WebTrends and StatCounter had given official statements on handling EU E-Privacy Directive. Beauvale uses Google and StatCounter only.
Google Analytics Cookies
Globally and in the European Union member states Google sets the following cookies:
__utma Cookie
A persistent cookie - remains on a computer, unless it expires or the cookie cache is cleared. It tracks visitors. Metrics associated with the Google __utma cookie include: first visit (unique visit), last visit (returning visit). This also includes Days and Visits to purchase calculations which afford ecommerce websites with data intelligence around purchasing sales funnels.
__utmb Cookie & __utmc Cookies
These cookies work in tandem to calculate visit length. Google __utmb cookie demarks the exact arrival time, then Google __utmc registers the precise exit time of the user.
Because __utmb counts entrance visits, it is a session cookie, and expires at the end of the session, e.g. when the user leaves the page. A timestamp of 30 minutes must pass before Google cookie __utmc expires. Given__utmc cannot tell if a browser or website session ends. Therefore, if no new page view is recorded in 30 minutes the cookie is expired.
This is a standard 'grace period' in web analytics. Ominture and WebTrends among many others follow the same procedure.
__utmz Cookie
Cookie __utmz monitors the HTTP Referrer and notes where a visitor arrived from, with the referrer siloed into type (Search engine (organic or cpc), direct, social and unaccounted). From the HTTP Referrer the __utmz Cookie also registers, what keyword generated the visit plus geolocation data.
This cookie lasts six months. In tracking terms this Cookie is perhaps the most important as it will tell you about your traffic and help with conversion information such as what source / medium / keyword to attribute for a Goal Conversion.
__utmv Cookie
Google __utmv Cookie lasts "forever". It is a persistant cookie. It is used for segmentation, data experimentation and the __utmv works hand in hand with the __utmz cookie to improve cookie targeting capabilities.
