Frances data protection watchdog CNIL on Wednesday fined Google 325 million ($380 million) and fast-fashion retailer Shein 150 million ($175 million) for violating cookie rules. The record penalties target two platforms with tens of millions of French users, marking among the heaviest sanctions the regulator has imposed.
France's data protection authority on Wednesday issuedrecordfinesagainst search giantGoogleand fast-fashion platformSheinforfailing to respect the law on internetcookies.
The two groups, each with tens of millions of users in France, received two of the heaviest penalties ever imposed by the CNIL watchdog: 150 million euros ($175 million)forShein and 325 million eurosforGoogle.
Both firms failed to secure users' free and informed consent before setting advertisingcookieson their browsers, the authority found in a decision the companies can still appeal.
Cookiesare small files saved to browsers by websites that can collect data about users' online activity, making them essential to online advertising and the business models of many large platforms.
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The CNIL has stepped up its scrutiny of their use, part of "a general strategy of bringing (market players) into lineoverthe past five years, targeting especially sites and services that receive a lot of traffic," the authority said.
Sheinhad amassed "massive" amounts of data from thecookiesit placed on 12 million monthly users' computers in France, it added.
The Asian low-cost clothing firm failed to secure users' consent or inform them adequately, as well as offering inadequate options to withdraw consent.
Sheinhas updated its systems to comply with the CNIL's requirements underFrenchand European law since the investigation.
It told AFP that it would appeal the fine, which it said was "totally disproportionate given the nature of the alleged grievances" and its "current compliance" with the legislation.
Googlesaid it would study the decision, and that it has complied with earlier CNIL demands.
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'Cookie wall'
Wednesday's fine againstGoogleis the third issued by the CNILoverthe search giant's use ofcookies, after paying 100 million euros in 2020 and 150 million in 2021.
Prosecutors had requested an even heavier penalty this time, of 520 million euros.
Authorities have justified the size of the punishments with reference to the sheer number ofGoogleusers in France and the broad array of "negligence" the CNIL says it is guilty of.
They especially highlight the case of a so-called "cookie wall" when creating aGoogleaccount, which requires users to accept the tracking software before proceeding.
While not in itself illegal, the implications were not sufficiently explained to users, who could therefore not provide informed consent, the CNIL found.
Some 53 millionFrenchpeople were also affected byGoogle's practice of inserting adverts between inbox items in its popular Gmail email service.
Such "direct canvassing" of users requires prior consent by users under European legal precedent, whichGoogledid not secure according to the CNIL.
On top of thefines,Googlehas been ordered to bring its systems into compliance within six months.
Failure to comply would draw further penalties of 100,000 euros per dayforbothGoogleand its Irish subsidiary.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally published on France24
