Why Cookie Management Under KVKK Matters for Your Business

The digital world is evolving fast, and the online presence and digital activities of companies become more important every day. With these developments, requirements for protecting personal data become unavoidable. In Turkey, one of the most important regulations on personal data protection is Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK, often called the Turkish GDPR). It sets the rules for how personal data is collected, processed and protected. Cookies used on websites hold a critical place within these rules.

What Cookies Are and What They Do

Cookies are small data files that your browser places on your device when you visit a website. These files let the website you visit recognize you, and they are usually used to improve the user experience. For example, when you return to an e-commerce site and see that your shopping cart is still full, that is the result of cookies. However, cookies do more than improve the user experience. They are also used for many other purposes, such as tracking user behavior, targeting ads and analyzing website traffic.

Types of Cookies

Under KVKK, cookies can be grouped into different categories. These include:

• Session Cookies:
  Temporary cookies that are deleted when the browser is closed. They are used to maintain session continuity.
• Persistent Cookies:
  Cookies that stay on your device for a set period, even after the browser is closed. They are usually used to remember user preferences.
• First-Party Cookies:
  Cookies placed by the website you visit. They are usually necessary for the site to work correctly.
• Third-Party Cookies:
  Cookies placed by a third party other than the site you visit. They are usually used for advertising and analytics.

Why Cookie Management Matters Under KVKK

KVKK sets the core principles and conditions to follow when personal data collected through cookies is processed. When cookies are used, users' explicit consent is mandatory, regardless of whether the collected data counts as personal data. For this consent to be valid, users must be informed about which types of cookies are used, for what purpose, and how the collected data will be processed.

Under the relevant articles of KVKK, personal data collected through cookies can only be processed for specific and legitimate purposes. Processing data without users' explicit consent is not lawful and can lead to serious legal consequences. In this context, creating a KVKK-compliant cookie policy is not only a legal requirement for your company. It is also an important way to earn and keep customer trust.

Creating a KVKK-Compliant Cookie Policy

To build a KVKK-compliant cookie management strategy, keep several important points in mind:

• Transparency and Disclosure:
  Users must clearly understand which cookies are used, for what purpose, and how the collected data is processed. This information is usually provided on a "Cookie Policy" page.
• Obtaining Explicit Consent:
  Explicit consent must be obtained from users before any data is collected through cookies. So that users can make an informed choice, this consent requires detailed information about how cookies are used.
• Ensuring Privacy and Security:
  The collected data must be kept secure and used only for the stated purposes. If data is shared with third parties, this sharing must also be clearly disclosed to the user.
• Providing Consent Management Tools:
  Offer tools that let users manage their cookie preferences easily. This way, users can update their cookie preferences or withdraw their consent at any time.

What to Watch for in Cookie Management

There are several core principles and rules to follow when you manage cookies under KVKK. Some of them are:

• Criterion A and Criterion B:
  Explicit consent may not be required when cookies are used only to carry out communication over an electronic communications network, or for information society services that the user has explicitly requested. Outside these cases, explicit consent is mandatory for cookie use.
• Cookie Retention Period:
  How long cookies are stored must be defined, and this period must be kept reasonable. Users must be able to delete cookies or change their preferences easily.
• Third-Party Cookies:
  Users must be informed about cookies placed by third parties, and explicit consent must be obtained for these cookies as well.

The Value of KVKK-Compliant Cookie Management

Building a KVKK-compliant cookie management strategy is not only a legal obligation. It is also critical for protecting your company's reputation and earning customer trust. Companies that fail to comply with KVKK can face heavy fines and legal sanctions. In addition, presenting cookie policies transparently increases customer trust and builds loyalty.

What Is a Consent Management Tool? What Do We Offer?

A Consent Management Tool is a system that ensures data collected through website cookies for profiling, segmentation, advertising and targeted marketing is processed only with the end user's explicit consent . This tool helps you make your website compliant with the cookie-related articles of data protection laws.

Key Features of Our Product

1. Automatic Cookie Scanning:
   İz Medya Cookie scans the cookies on your website and categorizes them.
2. Multi-Site Management from a Single Panel:
   You can manage multiple websites from the same management panel.
3. Cookie Preference Screen:
   It provides a reopenable cookie preference screen where visitors can set their cookie preferences.
4. Reporting:
   It provides detailed statistics on visitors' cookie preferences. Reports can be broken down by date and tracked from the management panel.
5. Security and Timestamping:
   It collects consents over a secure SSL connection. It stores each visitor's cookie preferences with a date and makes them tamper-proof with a timestamp.
6. Easy Setup and Customization:
   Setup only requires adding a few lines of JavaScript code to your website. The cookie preference screen can be customized as you need.

How Does Our Product Work?

1. Site Registration:
   The site administrator registers the website in our product's system.
2. Cookie Scanning and Categorization:
   The system finds the cookies on the website and categorizes them.
3. Installation:
   The site administrator adds the installation code to the website.
4. User Preferences:
   When visitors come to the website, they see the Consent Management Tool banner and set their cookie preferences.
5. Storing Preferences:
   The visitor's choice is stored on the product's servers and on the visitor's device.
6. Repeat Visits:
   When the visitor returns to the site, their earlier settings are read from the system and applied on the website.
7. Data Archiving:
   All data on user preferences is stored as a timestamped archive file so that it can serve as evidence.
8. Reporting and Monitoring:
   The site administrator can view visitor preferences and statistics over time from the management panel.

Summary and Our Recommendation

Cookie management under KVKK is critical for every company operating in the digital world. Managing cookies correctly and lawfully does more than minimize legal risk. It also makes your company's digital presence more secure and reputable. The cookie management solutionswe offer will guide you through this process and help you achieve full KVKK compliance. When you need to review and update your cookie policies regularly, support from our expert team makes it much easier to build customer trust in the digital world. Contact us for more information and for solutions tailored to your company's needs.