Many Dutch news websites do not comply with privacy laws because of the way they use cookie banners. The Consumentenbond recently found this based on its own research.
The league examined cookie banners from 100 popular news sites. Nearly 40 percent of them do not comply with the AVG. Half of these are DPG Media sites. "Twenty news sites from the survey place a cookie banner, but sixteen of them showed something wrong. For example, users often have to click multiple times to refuse tracking cookies. Or the refuse option is hard to find," the Consumers' Association states.
"It is unacceptable that so many Web sites act as if the privacy law does not apply to them. Websites should not force consumers to click endlessly to protect their privacy. We have shared our investigation results with the AP. The regulator has been given extra budget to check more often. Now they have to follow through," said Sandra Molenaar, director Consumentenbond.
Click here for the Consumers Union's message.
