Websites attempting to comply with the EU privacy directive will have a difficult time in persuading visitors to accept cookies. The online survey carried out by TolunaQuick and indicates that small online businesses will be the hardest hit.

Most web users are aware of what cookies are, the survey reports, however, it would appear that many are not totally aware of how essential they are to providing a good user experience for visitors. Cookies allow a website to idenfity if a user is logged in or not and what they should see on the website as a result. So, online retail stores will need to be careful which cookies they drop on the end user.

Third-party analytic cookies, such as Google Analytics will not be affected by the EU privacy directive. For more information on the results of the survey visit the econsultancy blog