Cookie Banners

What cookies are

Cookies are small text files that websites store in your browser. They serve many purposes: keeping you logged in, remembering your shopping cart, tracking which pages you visited, and identifying you to ad networks so companies can show you targeted ads.

Why banners exist

Cookie banners come from data privacy laws - primarily the EU's GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and, in the US, California's CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act). These laws require that users be given a choice about certain types of data collection, particularly tracking cookies used for advertising.

What US small businesses actually need to do

GDPR applies if you have visitors or customers in the EU. If you're a local US business with no meaningful EU audience, GDPR enforcement against you is near zero in practical terms. Many small US businesses have a cookie banner out of caution, not legal obligation.

CCPA applies to California businesses that meet certain thresholds - primarily annual revenue over $25 million, data on 100,000+ consumers annually, or earning more than 50% of revenue from selling personal data. Most small businesses don't hit these thresholds.

The practical answer for most small businesses: If you're a small local business with no advertising tracking (no Meta Pixel, no Google Ads remarketing), you probably don't need a cookie banner at all. If you do run advertising tracking, a simple banner that lets people opt out of that tracking is reasonable.

What you do need regardless

A Privacy Policy on your site that explains what data you collect and how you use it. This applies broadly, is low-cost to create, and is worth doing. Many standard website platforms include a template you can adapt.

The honest picture

Cookie banners were built for large-scale data collection. Most small businesses collect very little user data. Know what data you're actually collecting before deciding whether you need a banner.