"To force users to have to read a legal statement and check a box to agree to start doing business makes that step much more difficult and I'm betting that is e

"To force users to have to read a legal statement and check a box to agree to start doing business makes that step much more difficult and I'm betting that is exactly where they are heading." The cookie directive specifically excludes those client-side persistence mechanisms ("cookie-like") that are necessary to deliver the pro-offered service. If the cookie isn't necessary for that core service (e.g. a third party tracking tool), then it requires an informed consent. Hiding it in legal wording in that case is not an option, it needs to be clear and understandable. Note too, that the ICO cookie rule isn't limited to cookies, it covers all client-side persistence mechanisms that can be used in third party tracking and behavioural aggregation tools.