Facebook Ireland Ltd. – €60,000,000 Fine (France, 2021)
France's CNIL fined Facebook Ireland Ltd. EUR 60 million for making it hard for users to refuse cookies. Users could accept cookies with one click but had to go through several steps to reject them. This matters because it shows that companies must make it easy for users to refuse tracking.
What happened
Facebook tracked users through cookies on its website without providing an easy way to reject them.
Who was affected
Internet users in France who visited Facebook's website and were tracked by cookies.
What the authority found
The CNIL found that Facebook's cookie setup violated French data protection laws by making rejection harder than acceptance.
Why this matters
This ruling highlights the importance of user consent and transparency in cookie policies. Other companies should ensure their cookie rejection options are as straightforward as acceptance.
National Law Articles
Insufficient legal basis for data processing
Violations (3)
Cookie banner does not provide a clear reject/refuse all button at the same level as the accept button.
Art. 7 GDPR
Refusing cookies requires more clicks or steps than accepting them, or the reject option is less visually prominent.
Art. 7 GDPR
Non-essential cookies (tracking, advertising) are placed on the user's device before obtaining valid consent.
Art. 6(1) GDPR
Related Enforcement Actions (0)
No other enforcement actions found for Facebook Ireland Ltd. in FR
This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.
Similar Cases
Enforcement actions with similar violations
Details
Fine Date
31 December 2021
Authority
Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés
Fine Amount
€60,000,000
Enforcement Tracker ID
980
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Facebook Ireland Ltd. - France (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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