French DPA fines Google €325m and Shein €150m for cookie violations
03/09/2025 | French DPA
The French data protection authority, the CNIL, has fined Google €325 million and Shein €150 million for failing to comply with the law on advertising cookies under Article 82 of the French Data Protection Act. The fines relate to the use of "cookie walls," which require users to accept cookies as a condition for accessing services.
In its decision against Google, the CNIL said that, while cookie walls are not illegal in themselves, the choices offered to users must be balanced and not encourage one option over another. Consent must also be informed, ensuring individuals have a clear understanding of the consequences of their choices.
Meanwhile, its decision against Shein related to failures to obtain informed consent from users, and inadequate mechanisms for refusing and withdrawing consent, which essentially means that when users opted to refuse all cookies, they were placed on their devices anyway.
(Translate to English: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Apple Safari)
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