Cookies are small text files that store information in order to recognize or track users. A classic example is products placed in a shopping cart, which are displayed again the next time the user visits the website.
A cookie banner informs visitors that their data will be collected and used for certain purposes and records their consent to the use of the data.
A consent management platform goes further, it not only concerns websites, but also mobile applications, for example, and contains detailed information about data sharing with partners. It gives users the option to give their consent only for certain categories (statistics, marketing, etc.) and to withdraw it again. Cookie banners have been standard on most European websites since the introduction of the GDPR in the EU.
The law requires that visitors must be made aware of cookies and give their explicit consent.
In Switzerland, the use of cookies is regulated by the Telecommunications Act (TCA). Website operators only have to inform their users that cookies are used and also point out that cookies can also be rejected via the browser settings.
According to the Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG), explicit consent is only required if the cookies are used to process particularly sensitive personal data or personality profiles (Art. 4 No. 5 DSG).
