IAB Romania recommendations: How to inform users about the way cookies are used on websites

Cristina Blanaru Creativity, Digital & Media

IAB Romania made a set of recommendation related to informing users about cookies usage on websites. According to Romanian legislation in effect (Emergency Government Ordinance – OUG – 13/2012 to modify and complete Law 506/2004 on personal data processing and privacy protection in communication sector), users must be informed in a clear and easy to understand way about cookies presence and placement on terminals they are accessing internet from and, also, they need to agree to have cookies on their computers. Their agreement is considered valid also when is expressed via browser’s settings or other similar technologies, but users still need to be informed about cookies usage.


To help the industry, IAB Romania presents a set of recommendation related to the type and content of the info that need to be provided to the user and the way they need to be presented to him.

 Informing the user

When a website uses cookies for its own interest or for third parties, it needs to give users, in a visible and clear way, the following – but not limited to – info:

  • the fact that the website is using cookies – it needs to especially mention if they were placed by 3rd parties (for targeted advertising purpose, for example) and clearly mention the purposes the website is using cookies
  • what the cookies are
  • what is their role
  • why are they used by 3rd parties
  • what type of info is accessed with cookies’ help
  • cookies and their influence on personal data security and privacy
  • cookies’ management via browsers’ settings – how it can be done
  • why are cookies so important for the internet
  • uninstalling third party cookies
  • the effects of refusing cookies for the user

How to present this info?

  • Info on cookies must be presented on websites in a way visible and accessible to users
  • There must exist a link separate from “Terms and Conditions” or “Privacy Policy”
  • The mentioned link must be easy to spot or the user must be informed of the existence of this link and of the info related to cookies
  • Users must be recommended in a visible way to read those info and instructions
  • Recommendations: either through a banner placed on the 1st screen or a sticky ribbon, a visible placed widget or other visible methods characteristic to each website – users must be informed that the website is using cookies and must be recommended to get additional info on cookies.
IAB Romania will assist the members of the industry with more details on presenting info to users and even with an informative document model, that will be accessible on its website or can be provided upon request.

IAB Romania was created in 2006 and reunites the most important companies in online advertising sector: media sales houses, advertising agencies, service providers, local publishers and local branches of international publishers. IAB Romania is member of IAB Europe.