World

France hits Google with 150m euro fine

By AAP Newswire

Jan 6, 2022

France's data privacy watchdog fines Google 150 million euros. — France's data privacy watchdog fines Google 150 million euros for making it hard to refuse cookies. -EPA

France's data privacy watchdog CNIL says it has fined Alphabet's Google a record 150 million euros ($A234 million) for making it difficult for internet users to refuse online trackers known as cookies.

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Meta Platforms' Facebook was also fined 60 million euros ($A94 million) for the same reason, the CNIL said.

"The CNIL has found that the facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com websites do not allow to refuse cookies as easily as it is to accept them", the watchdog said in a statement, also citing Google's video-streaming platform.

The authority said the two companies had three months to comply with its orders or face an extra penalty payment of 100,000 euros per day of delay.

These include the obligation for Google and Facebook to provide French internet users simpler tools for refusing cookies, in order to guarantee their consent.

The CNIL said that while Google and Facebook provided a virtual button to allow the immediate acceptance for cookies, there was no equivalent to refuse them as easily.

"People trust us to respect their right to privacy and keep them safe. We understand our responsibility to protect that trust and are committing to further changes and active work with the CNIL in light of this decision," a Google spokesperson said.

Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.