Facebook Ireland Ltd. – €60,000,000 Fine (France, 2021)
Facebook was fined EUR 60,000,000 by France's data protection authority for making it harder to reject cookies than to accept them on its website. This is important because it reinforces the need for companies to respect user choices and privacy. Facebook must now adjust its cookie settings to make rejecting cookies as easy as accepting them.
What happened
Facebook made it more difficult for users to reject cookies than to accept them on its website.
Who was affected
Internet users visiting Facebook.com who found it difficult to reject cookies.
What the authority found
The French data protection authority found that Facebook's cookie practices violated users' freedom of consent under French law.
Why this matters
This ruling underscores the importance of making cookie consent options equally accessible. Companies should ensure their websites allow users to easily manage cookie preferences to avoid penalties.
National Law Articles
Facebook was fined for making it harder to reject cookies than to accept them, requiring multiple clicks to refuse cookies compared to a single click to accept.
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
ETid-980
About this data
Cite as: Cookie Fines. Facebook Ireland Ltd. - France (2021). Retrieved from cookiefines.eu
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