[privacylawthrow]

This is factually incorrect. The "Cookie Directive" wasn't from 2003, it was an amendment to the ePrivacy Directive. The ePrivacy Directive came into effect in 2002, and it was amendend in 2009. That amendment is what people generally call the "Cookie Directive" because it required consent for storage of information on end user devices.

It did not specify cookies, and did not actually specify any technical means. The ePrivacy Directive requires that companies get consent from users before storing information or gaining access to information stored on end user devices. This includes every kind of cookie you can think of, including LocalStorage. There is an exception for cookies necessary for the service requested, which typically includes things like auth cookies or shopping cart cookies, so long as that data is not used for anything else.