The cookie dilemma – between user convenience and data protection

Cookies are small text files used by websites to store user preferences, analyze user behavior and provide personalized content. They play a central role in the modern web, significantly improving the user experience, but also raising significant privacy issues. On the one hand, they enable a seamless and personalized web experience, but on the other hand, they can lead to extensive collection of personal data without sufficient consent or transparency. These privacy concerns have led to the development and implementation of stricter data protection laws such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which impose clear rules on the use of cookies and similar technologies.

A major problem when dealing with cookies is the lack of awareness and control on the part of users. Many people are not aware of which cookies are set, what data is collected, how long it is stored and who has access to it. This lack of awareness and the complexity of cookie management make it difficult to find a balanced solution that ensures both user experience and data protection.

Highlights to solve the cookie problem

1. Transparent cookie policy and user information

An effective measure to solve the cookie dilemma is to implement transparent cookie policies and inform users about their rights and options. Website operators should provide clear information about which cookies are used and for what purpose, and provide users with simple tools to adjust their preferences. This not only increases users' trust in the website, but also promotes more conscious decision-making regarding their own data.

2. Development of privacy-friendly cookies

Developing and using privacy-friendly cookies that do not collect personal data or anonymize the data can also help solve the problem. These technology approaches enable websites to deliver personalized content and advertising without compromising user privacy. This also includes limiting the lifespan of cookies to avoid unnecessary data storage.

3. Integration of cookie management tools

Incorporating cookie management tools into Joomla websites offers another way to address the cookie problem. These tools allow users to easily manage and customize their cookie settings. They provide a user-friendly interface that allows users to selectively grant or withdraw their consent to different types of cookies, ensuring a higher level of control and data protection.

Technical possibilities of Joomla for data protection optimization

Data protection by design in Joomla

Joomla offers a variety of extensions and settings that enable website operators to make their sites compliant with data protection regulations. By implementing the privacy by design principle, Joomla users can ensure that privacy measures are built into the website from the start. This includes consent collection features, cookie banners that provide clear and understandable information, and the ability for users to easily manage their preferences.

Cookie management extensions

Dedicated Joomla extensions for cookie management provide advanced functionality beyond basic privacy settings. These tools enable detailed configuration of cookie policies, including individual consent mechanisms for different cookie categories. This allows users to choose exactly which types of cookies they want to allow, enabling fine-grained control over personal data.

Customizable privacy settings

Joomla makes it possible to customize and optimize privacy settings to meet the different needs of websites and their users. Website operators can set specific settings for different user groups to find the optimal balance between user experience and data protection. This also includes the ability to choose privacy-friendly presets that guarantee users maximum privacy without having to manually adjust settings.

Improving customer experience through data protection

A new relationship of trust

Taking data protection measures into account not only improves compliance with legal requirements, but also contributes significantly to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Transparent handling of cookies and personal data creates trust and shows users that their privacy is valued. This relationship of trust is invaluable, especially in the digital world, and can significantly improve the customer experience on Joomla-based websites.

Conclusion: see data protection as an opportunity

At a time when data protection and data security are becoming increasingly important, Joomla offers website operators powerful tools to meet these challenges. By using transparent cookie policies, privacy-friendly technologies, and easy-to-use cookie management tools, Joomla users can create a safe and enjoyable web experience. By treating privacy as an integral part of web development rather than a hindrance, Joomla websites can not only meet legal requirements but also increase the trust and satisfaction of their users.

The GDPR has caused a small tremor within the German and even the international web community. The EU's new General Data Protection Regulation will strengthen the rights of users everywhere on the Internet - at the same time, companies are afraid of significant amounts in dispute in warnings. It is now important for website operators to pay attention not only to changes in the law, but also to the adaptability of their own content management systems. It is precisely with such a change that the enormous advantages that an open CMS like Joomla brings with it become apparent.

What exactly is the GDPR?

The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation is a new package of laws that primarily deals with the issue of data protection. Until now, the regulations were a matter for the individual countries - with the new law there is a central package that all operators of websites and companies in the EU must adhere to. The focus is primarily on the protection of sensitive data and on consumer self-control when it comes to the processing, transfer and storage of this data. Here are some examples of the new obligations that companies and website operators face:

• In the future, users will have the right to obtain information about stored data and to request a solution to the data.
• From a certain company size, a data protection officer is required to ensure compliance with the regulations.
• The regulations on the transfer of data have become even stricter - this applies, for example, to cookies on websites or to links to other sites.

Of course, the exact points are a little more complex, but would go beyond the scope. All in all, the idea is to give users greater control over their data on and off the web. Companies now primarily fear that warnings could come because individual aspects of the GDPR were not observed on their own website - for example an incorrect or incomplete data protection declaration. This is exactly where the big advantage that comes with an open source system like Joomla begins. Because it is the community that ensures that Joomla is GDPR compliant.

The advantages of an open source CMS like Joomla when it comes to GDPR

Closed systems now have the problem that users are dependent on the manufacturers and programmers behind the scripts to provide the updates. This is of course not acceptable, especially with things like the GDPR, where even the smallest rulings or changes in the law can lead to significant changes on the website. It is even worse when the risk of warnings automatically increases as the deadline for the new laws begins.

The content management system Joomla, with its large international community, is a good example of how to respond to these changes. The topic was discussed early on in the forums and various experts worked on the legal interpretation and adaptation of the website. The plugins for the necessary adaptation of your own website were available quickly. With just a few clicks, your own presence on the Internet could be made GDPR-compliant - and all of this completely free of charge, without any additional consultants or individual need for additional programming.

Joomla users benefit from the knowledge and speed of the community, which always ensures that they can react to new laws, regulations and trends on the Internet so that their website is always up to date. This applies not only to the CMS GDPR, but also to other changes in the fast-moving internet market.

Matomo is a free web analytics software platform that gives you detailed reports and information about your website and its visitors. You can adapt and optimize your website to your visitors through the languages used, downloads and keywords searched for. With a script at the end of your website, Matomo records the activities and evaluates them accordingly. You can also easily check other websites with Matomo to quickly find out the advantages and implementation of data protection by the competition. In this article you will find out how Matomo helps you evaluate user data in compliance with the GDPR.

What is the GDPR?

GDPR is the abbreviation for General Data Protection Regulation. This ensures uniform regulations and strengthening in the area of data processing and storage. For companies and website operators, this means a higher documentation requirement. In order for you to be able to process and use data, you must meet certain requirements. You must be able to prove to the supervisory authorities that you are authorized to collect data at any time.
The General Data Protection Regulation has been officially applied since May 25, 2018. If you as a website operator do not comply with this regulation, you can expect high penalties, including the forced closure of your company.

How do you implement the GDPR with Matomo?

If you and your company do not collect personal data about your users, you will probably not be affected by the new regulations. However, if you do not want to anonymize this information, you must respect user rights, document the data and comply with security measures. To comply with the regulation, you must grant your users the following rights.

a) Right to information

When processing personal data, you are obliged to inform users through a clear data protection declaration. The reasons for the personal data processing, as well as the period of time, must be shown. Information about other parties with whom you share the data must also be included.

b) Right of access

If a user requests access to their personal information, you must verify their identity. You can do this, for example, by comparing his email address with the registered address. However, if you have already anonymized the data, you do not have to comply with these requests.
Using appropriate Matomo GDPR tools, you have the opportunity to have all information about a person provided and searched. Through a final verification you can export the data and forward it to your customer via email.

c) Right to deletion

Users can also request that their data or their entire profile be deleted. To do this, you need to search for their data in the GDPR tools using the user's ID and then delete the selected areas. Then inform the person concerned and confirm the deletion process.

d) Right to rectification

If you are asked to edit user data, it is better to delete the user account, as this will save you a lot of effort. You can only make direct changes in the Matomo database, which is usually too incomprehensible for normal users.

e) Right to data portability

The GDPR gives the user the right to request a copy of the data they have collected. After identity verification, you can find the person in the GDPR tools by entering the ID. The selected areas can also be exported and thus forwarded to the user.

f) Right to object

After lawful data processing, the user has the right to object to the processing. An integrated deactivation function allows you to set this up without much effort. With Matomo you can easily integrate this function into your own website by making a small change to the HTML code.

g) Right of withdrawal after consent

Even if the user has consented to the use of the data, you must subsequently give them the opportunity to revoke this consent. You can also easily integrate this option into your website using a corresponding function.

This way you ensure privacy and have less work

If you anonymize your users' IPs directly, they have fewer opportunities to make direct demands on you. In this case, it is no longer personal data because you cannot draw any conclusions about the exact user. Additionally, it is protected by an IP address, which keeps the data safe and ensures privacy.

By deleting the old visitor logs, you not only improve data protection on your website, but also free up space in the database. After six months at the latest, you should delete the Matomo logs to free up memory. However, if users still have questions about the data collected in the meantime, they should still be available.

By using appropriate functions to deactivate data processing, you give users on your website the opportunity to decide for themselves about their data. This means you hand over some of the responsibility and save yourself the work of many questions and requests to delete data.

Although you can also collect additional user data from other websites through tracking, this is generally not recommended. By collecting this data, the privacy of users may no longer be guaranteed. In this case, too, an integrated button to easily deactivate this function on your website helps.

By creating a privacy policy entry on your website, you give users the opportunity to inform themselves in advance. Taking the GDPR into account, this information is now mandatory if you want to process data.

Open source or closed source – what are the respective dependencies?

Open source:

• For open source programs, the source code is visible and freely accessible. With a little prior knowledge, you can edit the program files yourself and adapt them to your needs.
• However, since you do not own the program, you may not distribute the edited version.

Closed sources:

• It is also known as closed source because it makes software unreadable from the outside by translating it into machine language.
• Closed source means you cannot edit the data of a program, so the user is dependent on the associated company.

Using closed source makes it more difficult for third parties to access data and settings, but it also makes it impossible for users to access their own data. It is therefore not possible to change the program independently.

Programs with open source are much more user-friendly and have the opportunity to be edited and improved by the user due to the open source. This puts greater pressure on the respective company to optimize the program itself.

Although both variants protect the data, they have often been hacked in the past. This happened regardless of closed or open source interpretation and shows that user data is never completely secure.
By providing user information on your website, you undertake to handle this data carefully and maintain privacy.

Matomo offers the opportunity to design your website as successfully as possible while complying with general data protection regulations. You can also protect the privacy of users as best as possible by simply anonymizing the data right from the start.
Reviewing the competition will also provide you with useful feedback to optimize your website and make it more user-friendly. The product is supported by numerous sponsors and is therefore free for you as a user.