EU Cookie Law – Elgg Extension

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Updated on 03 November 2014 with support for Elgg 1.9.X

Elgg-based sites make use of cookies to remember the visiting user preferences. Some sites also make use of Google or Yahoo Analytics that will include some additional cookies to the site. With the new EU cookie regulation law, Elgg-based sites in EU countries are required to acquire consent from the visitor to use cookies.

Cookies Acknowledgement Message

Cookies Acknowledgement Message

EU Cookie Acknowledgement in Header

EU Cookie Acknowledgement before Site Header

To comply with the EU cookies law Download (link at the end of the article), Donate &#x20AC 1 and include the extension in your Elgg site by following the steps below.

Installation

To install the module extract the downloaded archive file into the Elgg base directory. It is important to extract the contents in the base directory as the extension will change the engine/lib/sessions.php file which creates the session cookie.

Admin Menu

Admin Menu

Configuring the extension

The extension can be configured through the Admin > Configure > Settings > EU Cookies section in the admin console, where you can set:

  • The way the acknowledgement message is displayed:
  • Popup – An overlay that blocks the user from accessing the site until the cookies are approved
  • Top of the page – The acknowledgement message is shown in a bar on top of the page
  • The message to show when requesting your visitors to accept the cookies
  • The message to show as a “read about the cookies” link
  • The contents of the page that will provide information about the use of the cookies in the site

Notes:

    • For Elgg version 1.8.0.1 or before please modify the file engine/lib/views.php:
    • The module was tested on Elgg 1.8.0.1, 1.8.1 and Elgg 1.8.6
    • The 1.9.X module was tested on Elgg 1.8.4
  1. // Place in the method elgg_view_page after the line most likely line 621
  2. // $vars['sysmessages'] = $messages;
  3. $vars = elgg_trigger_plugin_hook('output:before', 'page', null, $vars);
EU Cookies Settings Screen

EU Cookies Settings Screen

Update for 1.9.X

In Elgg 1.9.X the sessions.php file has been changed resulting incompatibility between the 1.8.X and 1.9.X versions. A new version of the extension is available for download for Elgg 1.9.X.

Download

Get compliant with the EU cookies law now by Downloading for 1.8.X or by Downloading for 1.9, Donate 1€ and include the extension in your Elgg site.

THIS EXTENSION IS PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR OR THIS SITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS EXTENSION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

NOTE: ALWAYS TAKE A BACKUP OF YOUR SITE AND DATABASE BEFORE INSTALLING ANY MODULE