According to Reuters, France’s privacy watchdog fined Alphabet’s Google a record 150 million euros ($169 million) for making it difficult for internet users to opt out of online trackers.
A 60 million euro fine was also imposed on Meta Platforms’ Facebook because of the same reason, said the CNIL.
“The CNIL has found that the facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com websites do not allow users to refuse cookies as easily as it is to accept them”, according to a statement, also referencing Google’s video streaming platform.
Both companies now have three months to complete the orders or they will have to pay a penalty of 100,000 euros per day if they are late.
French internet users will also have a simpler way of refusing cookies if they use Google and Facebook.
It stated that although Facebook and Google provided a virtual button to accept cookies immediately, there was no equivalent to refuse them as easily.
Despite the CNIL’s decision, Google is committing to future changes and active collaboration with the CNIL, a spokesperson said. “People trust us to respect their privacy and keep them safe,” the Google spokesperson said.
In response to a comment request, Facebook did not immediately respond.
