He Organism in charge of ensuring data protection in France, the Cnilyou have imposed paths fines by Google and Shein for not respecting French legislation related to cookies On the Internet. The two multinationals, which add several tens of users in the country, have received two of the highest fines imposed so far by the CNIL: 325 million euros for Google, and 150 million euros for Shein.
Both companies have received the fine for not ensuring that their users gave a free and informed consent by adjusting the configuration of advertising cookies in their browsers. The two can appeal the decision of the Cnil, and both have confirmed that they will do it.
The CNIL, which has increased its activity on the websites and services that receive traffic in a massive way in the country in recent years, has established that Shein has achieved huge amounts of cookies data that he has placed on the computers of his 12 million monthly users active in France.
The Asian retail company has not safely obtained the consent of the users, or has not informed them of what it implies properly. In addition, it has only offered not suitable ways to withdraw consent. However, since the investigation that has culminated with the fine was opened, it has already updated its systems to meet the requirements of the French and European laws.
As for Google, he assures that he has met all the previous demands of the CNIL, although this is the third fine that the entity imposes on Google for the use of cookies. It is also the highest, and it could have been worse since prosecutors asked for a higher sanction for American technology: 520 million euros.
It seems that the French authorities, unlike the European Commission, have no problem applying the law to US technological platforms, although Trump can be angry and take measures related to tariffs as retaliation, as he has threatened to do if the country’s technological technological ones are sanctioned.
The authorities have justified the dimension of the fine for the high number of users that Google has in France, as well as the amount of infractions it has committed according to the laws of the country. They speak specifically of a “cookies wall” raised when creating a Google account, which makes users to accept the tracking of their activity before proceeding with the opening of the account.
Although the implementation of this wall is not illegal, its implications were not according to the CNIL explained to users clear enough, so he could not offer their informed consent.
In addition, around 53 million French were affected by Google’s practice to place advertisements between elements of its email input tray in Gmail. This requires a previous consent of users according to certain legal precedents, which Google did not properly apply, according to the CNIL.
Apart from the fine, Google has to make its systems comply with cookies in force in France Within a maximum period of six months, and if it does not, both Google and its Irish subsidiary, the further, will have to pay 100,000 euros for every day more than breach.
