CHATWITH.IO WORLDWIDE, S.L. – €12,000 Fine (Spain, 2023)

€12,000Agencia Española de Protección de Datos23 September 2023Spain
final
Fine

CHATWITH.IO WORLDWIDE, S.L. was fined for using a cookie banner that made it hard for users to reject cookies. The company used dark patterns that misled visitors into accepting cookies more easily than rejecting them. This ruling highlights the importance of clear consent mechanisms for website operators.

What happened

CHATWITH.IO WORLDWIDE, S.L. used a misleading cookie banner that made rejecting cookies difficult.

Who was affected

Website visitors who encountered the cookie banner on CHATWITH.IO's site.

What the authority found

The Spanish data protection authority found that the company violated GDPR rules by using dark patterns in its cookie consent banner.

Why this matters

This case shows that companies must ensure their cookie consent mechanisms are clear and fair. Website operators should avoid using misleading designs that pressure users into accepting cookies.

GDPR Articles Cited

Art. 13 GDPR
Art. 5(1)(a) GDPR

National Law Articles

Art. 22 (2) LSSI
Full Legal Summary
Detailed

The cookie banner used dark patterns, making it difficult to reject cookies compared to accepting them.

Violations (3)

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

Misleading Banner Messaging
critical

The cookie banner uses misleading language to trick or pressure users into accepting cookies (dark patterns).

Art. 7 GDPR

Related Enforcement Actions (0)

No other enforcement actions found for CHATWITH.IO WORLDWIDE, S.L. in ES

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

Details

Fine Date

23 September 2023

Authority

Agencia Española de Protección de Datos

Fine Amount

€12,000

Enforcement Tracker ID

ETid-2104

About this data

Data: CMS GDPR Enforcement Tracker
Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
AI-verified and classified
Cookie relevance: 80%

Cite as: Cookie Fines. CHATWITH.IO WORLDWIDE, S.L. - Spain (2023). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu

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