The EU cookies law, effective from 26 May 2011, requires businesses to obtain consent from website visitors to store and retrieve information on users' computers.
In the UK the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will be responsible for regulating the law. It has drawn up advice to help organisations think about the steps they need to take to remain compliant. These steps include taking an audit of the types of cookies currently being used - and how they are used - and assessing how intrusive this might be. The guidance then outlines a number of options available to organisations to ensure they remain within the legislation.
The guidance is available on the ICO website.