One of e-commerce"s key technologies the cookie may be banned by the European Parliament, sparking concern from the Australian Internet industry.
Cookies are the small computer files used to store information about a user"s Internet browsing patterns.
Some companies use cookies to gather data on the browsing habits of individual Web users, while other cookies perform menial tasks such as remembering what visitors saw last time they visited a site.
If cookies are banned, people who regularly shop and bank online may be put off by having to reregister or reenter preferences every time they revisit an online shop.
The European Parliament will vote on November 13 on whether to make cookies illegal.
It has been estimated the move could cost British online businesses alone more than $540 million.
The cookie ban is included in draft legislation following a major report into data protection.