Essential cookies, also referred to as strictly necessary cookies, are mandated for the core operation of websites. They enable features without which users would be unable to access services or functionalities. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC) categorize these cookies as exempt from prior consent due to their necessity for communication and service delivery (European Commission, 2024).
Highlight:
- Session management: Essential cookies allow session continuity, preserving authentication status and user-specific actions. For example, session cookies keep users logged in as they navigate protected areas of a site. This is crucial for platforms requiring persistent user identification.
- Preference retention: Persistent cookies store user preferences such as language, currency, or display settings. This storage enables a seamless and personalized experience on subsequent visits.
- Transaction integrity: Shopping cart functionality relies on essential cookies to remember selected items until checkout. Their absence can disrupt transaction flow and compromise usability.
- Security enforcement: Some essential cookies protect against fraud and unauthorized access by ensuring that user requests are consistently validated.
Key characteristics:
- Automatic placement: These cookies are set by default upon accessing a website.
- Strict limitation: They do not track users beyond what is required for service delivery.
- Consent exemption: Explicit consent is not required for their deployment, as supported by the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party and reaffirmed by recent legal interpretations.
Summarizing the evidence, essential cookies form the technical backbone for basic website operations, with legal frameworks affirming their unique status compared to other cookie types. Their deployment must remain strictly limited to necessary purposes to ensure compliance and user trust.
