French DPA fines Google €325m for ePrivacy violations
04/09/2025 | French DPA
The French data protection authority, the CNIL, has fined Google €325 million for sending unsolicited advertisements to Gmail users without their consent. The decision follows a complaint by the Austrian privacy and digital rights advocacy group NOYB, which argued that these commercial emails constitute direct marketing and require prior user consent under the ePrivacy directive. The CNIL also found that Google had previously made it too difficult for users to refuse cookie consent when setting up their Gmail accounts.
In addition to the fine, the CNIL has ordered Google to take specific measures within six months to cease displaying ads without prior consent and to ensure valid consent for the placement of advertising cookies. The CNIL stated that if the company fails to comply, it will face a penalty of €100,000 per day.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Reuters reports that Google has been ordered to pay $425 million in a class action for collecting data from users who had switched off tracking in their Google account.
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