Google can finally create a “Deny all cookies” button

Rejecting cookies should be as easy as accepting. Since the enactment of the Public Data Protection Regulations (RGPD) and ePrivacy, this has been the rule that the National Commission for Computer and Freedom (CNIL) has sought to impose on the web. Clearly, web users can reject cookies when they visit a site with a simple click.

Google has been granted more licenses in France

But in this area, Google is not a good student: the American company has paid too much for its laziness. Earlier this year, Cnil fined Cookies 150 million for violating cookie rules. Even today, the banner displayed by Google is unbalanced: accepting cookies with one click can be very complicated.

But that will change very soon. Website Euroactive Google has reportedly told a personal data controller in Hamburg, Germany, that a public cookie rejection button will soon be added to its info banner. However, the deadline for adding this option is not specified.

Currently, viewing Google without cookies on the computer takes place with a preview of the information in Google’s policy, including cookies, their role, denials, and requirements for the proper functioning of the service. Two buttons are provided: one to accept everything and the other to determine each situation individually.

These explanations were updated last year, with clear and complete text. The US company has no choice: by 2020 Cnil has already imposed a fine of 100 million euros for a number of offenses (depositing cookies without user consent, insufficient information, the mechanism of resistance).

Of course it is possible to deny everything, but the process is long and manual: you need to review several sub-sections related to the information banner, which is not very convenient. This discrepancy is referred to as a “dark pattern”, which is the structure of the interface that forces Internet users to perform one action instead of another.

The button to deny everything before the cookies expire?

Google still relies heavily on cookies today as a way to deliver targeted ads to Internet users. These ads, which are customized according to the activity on the Internet, are the source of most of the revenue for Google and its parent company, Alphabet. Cookies are actually totally strategic.

Therefore, accepting all cookies requires a single click of the banner button, while rejecting them requires going through different panels and performing several specific actions. However, Google has the ability to link all these steps into a single click-through link – other sites do better with the “Continue without accepting” link.

Google’s commitment to updating this banner in accordance with European guidelines applies to the entire European Union, but also to Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This solution may prove to be temporary: Google has come up with the idea of ​​dropping third-party cookies, especially in Chrome. But European officials are worried about this.

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