French data privacy watchdog slaps Google and Facebook A total of €210m (£176m) was used to hamper users’ ability to stop companies from tracking their online activities.
This National Information and Freedom Commission (CNIL) said Thursday that it has been fined Google A record 150 million euros to make it difficult for Internet users to refuse cookies – small text files used to profile personal web activity for commercial purposes. For the same reason, it fined Facebook 60 million euros.
Internet users’ prior consent to the use of cookies is a key pillar of EU data privacy regulations and a top priority for CNIL.
“When you accept a cookie, it’s just a click away,” said Karin Kiefer, CNIL’s head of data protection and sanctions. “Rejecting cookies should be as easy as accepting them.”
Regulator says facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com sites Do not allow easy rejection of cookies. Take Facebook as an example, it says: “Multiple clicks are required to reject all cookies instead of one click to accept them.”
It said the companies had three months to comply with its orders, including making it easier for French users to refuse cookies, or delaying payment of additional fines of 100,000 euros per day.
“People trust us to respect their privacy rights and keep them safe,” a Google spokesperson said. “We understand our responsibility to protect that trust and are committed to further change and active cooperation with CNIL in light of this decision.”
A spokesperson for Facebook’s parent company, Yuan, said: “We are reviewing the authorities’ decision and remain committed to working with the relevant authorities. Our cookie consent controls give people more control over their data, including new settings menus on Facebook and Instagram, where people can always reset Access and manage their decisions, and we will continue to develop and improve these controls.”
In 2020, CNIL strengthened consent for ad trackers, saying that in France A record of Internet users’ refusal to accept cookies should be kept for at least six months.
It also said that Internet users should be able to easily reconsider any initial agreement regarding cookies through a web link or icon that should be visible on all pages of the site.
