Belgian Supervisory Authority Sanctions News Media Company for Violating Cookie Rules | Alston & Bird
On May 25th, the Belgian Supervisory Authority (“GBA”) announced that it had imposed a fine of EUR 50,000 on a Belgium-based news media company for using cookies on its websites without complying with applicable cookie law requirements. The GBA decided to sanction the company mainly because although the company had obtained consent from website visitors to place cookies on their devices, the consent did not meet all the requirements of the GDPR. This is the GBA’s first enforcement action relating to cookie use following a thematic investigation by the GBA into the management of cookies on the most popular news media sites in Belgium.
Cookies are “mini-files” that can be used to collect or store information on devices of website users. Under EU cookie law, companies responsible for websites that place or otherwise use cookies must obtain website visitors’ prior consent, unless the cookies are strictly necessary (to…
