Cookies on the Internet: Noyb files 422 complaints in Europe

Noyb announcement have filed more than 400 complaints (422 to be precise) concerning cookies on the Internet. The privacy protection NGO targets sites in Europe, complaining of breaches of the rules on cookies.

Hunting for cookies on the Internet and their practices

At the end of May, this Austrian organization had put 516 companies on notice, giving them a month to comply. “According to the law, the option” yes / no “to cookies must clearly be offered to users”, explained Noyb. Now it is often “Extremely complicated to click on anything other than the accept button”.

Improvements have since been observed, underlines the NGO, noting that nearly half of the irregularities observed have been corrected. Many sites have thus added a “reject” button or have ceased to use different colors, a trick that encouraged Internet users to click on the “accept” button. Big names like Seat, Mastercard or Nikon have instantly changed their practices, welcomes Max Schrems, head of Noyb.

However, the situation is still far from ideal, according to the NGO, which has therefore decided to bring 422 cases to justice at the level of the competent national authorities when possible and the Austrian authorities for the rest. Most sites are reluctant to give Internet users the possibility of easily reconsidering their choice. Activists also point to digital giants like Google and Facebook, which refuse to comply while cookies allow them to personalize advertisements according to the tastes and habits of consumers. 36 additional proceedings were launched against these platforms.

Noyb wants to comb through up to 10,000 sites over the next few months, hoping to end this “terror” of cookie banners, which goes against the European Privacy Regulation (GDPR ), in place since 2018.

In France, the CNIL, the gendarme of personal data, has launched a similar offensive to force websites to comply with the law. In mid-July, she thus announced a new series of formal notices targeting “forty” recalcitrant actors.