> Why do they not impose a legal obligation on google and ad agencies to not track, or on facebook or whatever.
They do. As I understand it, this law applies just as well to the likes of Google, Yahoo and Facebook as it does to the sites that host their ads. There is some ambiguity over exactly who is responsible for gaining consent for 3rd party cookies — ICO have stated that this is a complicated area and more guidance may be forthcoming — but my approach is that I can't trust these third parties to cover my arse so I'll do it myself.
They do. As I understand it, this law applies just as well to the likes of Google, Yahoo and Facebook as it does to the sites that host their ads. There is some ambiguity over exactly who is responsible for gaining consent for 3rd party cookies — ICO have stated that this is a complicated area and more guidance may be forthcoming — but my approach is that I can't trust these third parties to cover my arse so I'll do it myself.