Google Ireland Ltd. – €60,000,000 Fine (France, 2021)

€60,000,000Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés31 December 2021France
final
ePrivacy
Fine

Google Ireland Ltd. was fined EUR 60 million by the French data protection authority for making it difficult for users to reject cookies on its websites. This case underscores the importance of providing clear and easy options for users to manage cookie preferences.

What happened

Google Ireland Ltd. made it difficult for users to reject cookies on its websites.

Who was affected

Internet users visiting google.fr and youtube.com who faced challenges in rejecting cookies.

What the authority found

The authority found that Google's cookie settings interfered with user consent by making it harder to reject cookies than to accept them.

Why this matters

This decision reinforces that companies must offer straightforward ways for users to reject cookies, ensuring that consent is freely given. It serves as a reminder to review and simplify cookie consent processes.

National Law Articles

AI-identified

Art. 82 loi Informatique et Libertés
Source verified 4 March 2026
articles corrected
national law identified
Full Legal Summary
Detailed

The CNIL found that rejecting cookies on google.fr and youtube.com required more clicks than accepting them, violating consent requirements.

Violations (2)

No Reject Button
critical

Cookie banner does not provide a clear reject/refuse all button at the same level as the accept button.

Art. 7 GDPR

Reject Harder Than Accept
critical

Refusing cookies requires more clicks or steps than accepting them, or the reject option is less visually prominent.

Art. 7 GDPR

Related Enforcement Actions (0)

No other enforcement actions found for Google Ireland Ltd. in FR

This is the only recorded action for this entity in this jurisdiction.

Details

Fine Date

31 December 2021

Authority

Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés

Fine Amount

€60,000,000

Enforcement Tracker ID

ETid-979

About this data

Data: CMS GDPR Enforcement Tracker
Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
AI-verified and classified
Cookie relevance: 100%

Cite as: Cookie Fines. Google Ireland Ltd. - France (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu

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