EU User Consent Policy

[DinoToyForum]

You know those annoying pop-ups that appear on most websites that you have to click before browsing the site? Well, I'm legally obliged to add one to my websites because my sites (like all sites) use cookies and IP addresses to function. I've been avoiding doing this for a long time because the pop-ups are so intrusive and, personally, I'll often leave a site when I encounter the popup. However, I've received a demand and deadline to add them to the Dinosaur Toy Blog and Animal Toy Blog. So, now I have to.

Nothing else is changing, it will just be a button to click, and I'll try and make it as unobtrusive and not off-putting as possible.

[Faelrin]

Honestly it's something I appreciate. Most websites have third parties that use cookies to track and sell peoples data. Anytime I see one of those pop ups I go in and turn off anything that isn't essential (not the accept all option that's often front and center). It's also why I use Firefox with built in tracking prevention and cookies disabled except on a few websites, along with u block origin (which is the most efficient ad blocker out there these days).

[DinoToyForum]

So, I think I've installed everything required for GDPR compliance successfully. Time will tell.

There are now two pop-ups to click. One, in a bar at the bottom, for Wordpress. The other, which appears in the centre of the page, is for Google Adsense.

There is also now a Privacy Policy page for the blog at https://dinotoyblog.com/privacy-policy/ The bar at the bottom links to it.

The Google pop-up will also appear on the forum, if that's your landing page for the dinotoyblog domain. The forum's separate Privacy Policy page, which all members will have agreed to when registering, is on this page below the Registration Agreement: https://dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php?action=agreement

Please let me know if you encounter any problems with any of this, or have any questions.

My feelings about the pop-ups. The Wordpress bar at the bottom is okay but the Google Adsense one is so intrusive, just horrible. I find it deeply upsetting that this is the first thing visitors to the site must now see instead of, say, oh I don't know, a dinosaur toy review. But that's how it is.

A bonus for all you people with adblockers: an additional Google Adsense pop-up may appear requesting you to allow ads on the Dinosaur Toy Blog specifically. So, if you're feeling kind, click that, because every pair of eyes that views an ad counts and helps the site tick along. You might even see an ad that interests you. I wish the Google ads were more relevant but apart from the occasional NHM Dippy exhibition or dinosaur toy ad, they seem mostly random.

[DinoToyForum]

There's an 88% consent rate for Google Adsense pop-ups on my sites so far. I guess the other 12% are bouncing, i.e. leaving the site immediately – I think you can't view the site otherwise.

I'm curious, has anyone here *not* consented? I suppose not, by default, because consent is required to get this far! But I'm not sure how people with ad-blockers are affected. Do you ad-blocker users see the consent pop up at all?

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I don't think I have an ad blocker unless it's built in to my firefox or Mcaffee protection, haven't any issues though

[DinoToyForum]

Did you see the pop-up and click consent? Maybe it only appears for people in the EU/UK.

[Fenestra]

It appeared for me. I'm in the EU. And I have add blocker on.

[DinoToyForum]

It appeared for me. I'm in the EU. And I have add blocker on.

Thanks, so did you click consent? Presumably you still don't see ads, though, if you have adblocker? Do you encounter the popup begging ad-blocker users to remove the block for the site?

[DinoToyForum]

The allow ads pop up looks like this:



I mean, it's true, but if someone has installed adblocker then it could be offputting to see this message and turn visitors away. Which I don't want to do - welcoming all visitors is more important than making a few pennies from an ad.

[bmathison1972]

Ive never gotten that, on ATB nor DTB; just one very small and non-obtrusive banner at the bottom that I have only seen once

[DinoToyForum]

Ive never gotten that, on ATB nor DTB; just one very small and non-obtrusive banner at the bottom that I have only seen once

The banner at the bottom is the Wordpress consent, that's to give GDPR consent for cookies, which are integral for things like comments and ratings on the blog. On the forum, cookies are integral to the login system and ban system. It's basically how the internet works and has always worked, and cookies are so innocuous it seems ridiculous to me that consent is required. That's for Wordpress and the Forum anyway. Adsense is another matter.

It seems that the Adsense consent banner isn't shown to people in the US, or anyone else outside of the EU/UK. Unless someone responds otherwise.

The equivalent to GDPR in the US is CPRA, but that seems to be focussed on selling and sharing data, while GDPR seems to be more broadly about collecting data. I see that there's an option in Adsense for me to activate a CPRA consent popup as well. I don't know if it's mandatory, I'm not selling or sharing data (I wouldn't even know how), but maybe Adsense is/could through the ads on my site? I'll look into it, but maybe I should activate that pop-up anyway, a small number of you might welcome another box to check.

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Did you see the pop-up and click consent? Maybe it only appears for people in the EU/UK.

I received some message that wouldn't let me view the site unless I clicked ok, that was probably it. I'm so used to running into something everywhere anymore, I just assumed it was a security feature.

[Fenestra]

The allow ads pop up looks like this:



I mean, it's true, but if someone has installed adblocker then it could be offputting to see this message and turn visitors away. Which I don't want to do - welcoming all visitors is more important than making a few pennies from an ad.

It was the "Privacy Policy" that popped up for me a few days ago. I thought that was what you were asking for.
The "allow ads" pop up you are showing here, I have never seen before.
I don't see any ads on this site for that matter. I use AdBlocker Ultimate from Firefox.

[Takama]

I Still see this



On every single page I visit on the blog, 

 

[DinoToyForum]

I Still see this



On every single page I visit on the blog, 

 

14% of ad-blocker users to my sites have clicked it, so thanks to those of you that have!

Unfortunately it's an 'all or nothing' feature that appears on every page until consent is given - I checked. So, I might remove it.