French Privacy Watchdog Fines Google, Facebook

Google and Facebook breached French data protection laws on cookies, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) said Thursday. It fined Google 150 million euros ($170.2 million), Facebook 60 million euros ($68.1 million). The data protection authority said it received "many complaints" from users about the difficulty of refusing cookies on the companies' websites. Investigations found google.fr, youtube.com and facebook.com offered buttons allowing users immediately to accept cookies, but the process for refusing them required several clicks. Making the refusal mechanism more complex discourages cookie refusals and encourages users to opt into them, negatively affecting users' freedom to consent, CNIL said. Google emailed that it understands its responsibility to protect users' trust and is "committing to further changes and active work with the CNIL "in light of the decision. Facebook parent Meta emailed it's reviewing the decision and remains "committed to working with relevant authorities" to improve its cookie controls. Data protection is among key priorities of the EU French Presidency, which took office Jan.1. Its work program for the six-month term includes several digital technology areas, including personal data protection in electronic communications that will complement the general data protection regulation. Other priorities: Development of "human-centred artificial intelligence," boosting cybersecurity, and beginning work on a data act as part of a framework to enable data exchange while ensuring secure sharing mechanisms.