No cookies: how and why we chose to modernize privacy at Soyio

Before we launched the Soyio site, someone asked me the question: “Are we going to use cookies?”. And there I was, ready with my usual rant about everything I dislike on the most popular sites: giant banners, endless legalese, and that feeling of being pushed into accepting something you don't really understand.

And the worst part: clicking “Accept” without even knowing what you're accepting. As if privacy were a minor detail, something you can set aside with a single click. That disconnect between companies and their users has always bothered me.

I started off, as I usually do, ranting a little: “Enough with text nobody reads! Not even Homer Simpson would understand this, and his brain would just be that little monkey banging cymbals!”.

That got me dreaming out loud: “What if we propose something different? What if we invent a new language, something everyone understands?”. The idea was to do something pioneering, but as with any innovation, figuring out how to pull it off was the hard part.

I read several studies on plain, friendly legal language and how much of a difference it can make, and that sealed it for me. It turns out it doesn't just help users understand better, it also builds trust. Instead of long clauses and legalese, people prefer clear, direct terms. But nice words obviously aren't enough on their own.

That's when Mati, Soyio's CTO, had a brilliant idea: “What if we don't use cookies at all? There are tools that don't need them and protect privacy from the start. Like Fathom Analytics”(they don't sponsor us, we just like them). Boom! There was the answer.

Cookies: what they are and why we decided not to use them

Cookies are fragments of text that web browsers such as Chrome, Safari and others use to store information about a user's visits to a website, so they can improve the browsing experience and personalize the content people are shown.

They're useful, but they often cross a line: they track more than they need to, they breed distrust, and they end up at the center of ethical and legal controversies.

In Europe, for example, the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD) has published a detailed guide, the Guía sobre el uso de cookies, which sets clear requirements on how to inform users and obtain their consent. It's a demanding standard that many companies simply don't meet.

At Soyio we could have gone down that road, but we chose an even more transparent one. By not using cookies, we eliminate the need for intrusive banners or complex consent policies at the source. We chose Fathom Analytics because it respects privacy without giving up analytics. No cookies, no invasive tracking, no legal headaches. Just the essential data to improve your experience, while you stay in control of your information.

Practicing what we preach

Our philosophy is simple: if we don't like something as users, we don't do it as a company.

Nobody wants to feel watched, least of all somewhere that promises to look after your digital identity. So we decided to lead the way on something small but meaningful: a site where you don't have to accept anything strange or worry about your data.

What do we gain by not using cookies?

Three things, mainly:

Genuine trust: because there's no catch and no fine print.

A smooth experience: no annoying banners, no incomprehensible terms (we did put one up anyway, so you'd find your way to our blog and wouldn't distrust us for saying nothing about cookies).

Keeping our promise: respecting your privacy from the minute you land on our site, and showing that things can be done differently to protect your data.

And what about cookies in Chile?

With the new Personal Data Protection Law about to be enacted in Chile, there's an obvious gap when it comes to how cookies specifically should be handled. European regulations such as the GDPR set clear requirements about obtaining informed consent, but Chile still has no detailed technical guidance on cookies. That could lead some companies to think a simple “Accept” button, with no further explanation, is enough.

But would that really live up to the spirit of the law?

The lack of clarity in local rules could produce surface-level compliance, where users have no real understanding of what they're accepting or how their data is used.

At Soyio we believe consent should be more than a formality; it should be a conscious choice. That's why we chose to remove the need for cookies and keep things simple for our users.

Modernize, anticipate, simplify

Even though Chilean law doesn't require it today, we're convinced the global trend points toward more transparency and more respect for privacy. Our cookie-free approach not only lets us stay ahead of future regulation, it also reaffirms our ethical commitment to the people who trust us.

Because at the end of the day, this isn't about meeting the legal minimum. It's about building relationships based on trust and clarity.