# [NOYB cookie banner complaints](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/noyb-cookie-banners/) **NOYB's cookie banner campaign fights deliberately unlawful consent schemes in the EU. Use Cookiebot to enable a fully GDPR-compliant cookie banner.** · [Scan your website and become compliant for free with Cookiebot CMP](https://www.cookiebot.com/) · [Try Cookiebot CMP free for 14 days](https://admin.cookiebot.com/signup) · [Guide on how to ensure that your cookie banners are GDPR compliant](https://support.cookiebot.com/hc/en-us/articles/4401873267090/) --- Privacy group NOYB led by Max Schrems has filed 422 complaints on unlawful cookie banners to EU data protection authorities in a large-scale push to simplify cookie consent to a clear yes/no answer in compliance with the EU’s GDPR. The non-profit privacy group [NOYB (None of Your Business)](http://www.noyb.eu/) has announced a campaign to “end cookie banner terror” on the Internet by forcing websites to trim deliberately complicated and unlawful cookie banners in order to become compliant with the [EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/gdpr/). On May 31, [NOYB filed over 500 draft complaints to companies in 33 EU countries](https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-aims-end-cookie-banner-terror-and-issues-more-500-gdpr-complaints/) who use cookie banners on their websites in ways that violate the GDPR’s requirements for protection of end-users’ personal data, e.g. by nudging end-user behavior or simply by being overly complex in their design (also known as “dark patterns”). Using a newly developed technology that can map out a website’s consent flow and determine whether it’s in violation of the GDPR, NOYB plans to send up to 10,000 such draft complaints to websites before the end of 2021. On August 17, [NOYB then filed 422 complaints to data protection authorities in ten EU countries](https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-files-422-formal-gdpr-complaints-nerve-wrecking-cookie-banners/), making good of their threat to pursue legal action on the companies that didn’t fix their non-compliant cookie banners within a month. Even though 42% of the violations originally flagged in the May draft complaints had been fixed, according to NOYB, 82% of companies were still non-compliant with the EU’s GDPR. According to the [EU’s GDPR](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/gdpr/) and the [European Data Protection Board (EDPB)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/edpb-guidelines/), consent to cookies on website must be **freely given**, **specific**, **informed**, and **unambiguous** to be valid. That’s why cookie banners must **give end-users a clear yes/no choice between accepting or rejecting cookies**. The websites in NOYB’s cookie banner complaints violate this basic requirement in different ways, including – - Cookie banners have no “reject” option next to “accept”, meaning that users cannot opt out of cookies as easily as they can opt in - Cookie banners have pre-ticked boxes, giving a false sense of a “freely given” consent - Cookie banners will have deceptive designs and color schemes that nudge users towards accepting cookies - Cookie banners make it harder for end-users to withdraw their consent than it was to give it - Cookie banners will have inaccurate classifications of cookies - Cookie banners will claim legitimate interest wrongfully. ## What is NOYB’s cookie banner campaign about? 1. NOYB has developed a tool that automatically maps a website’s cookie consent flow and is able to determine whether a cookie banner lives up to the GDPR’s requirements or not 2. NOYB sends a draft complaint to the non-compliant website, including a detailed guidance on how to correct the cookie banner implementation to meet GDPR standards 3. NOYB gives the website in violation one month to change their cookie banner 4. If the website in violation does not change their non-compliant cookie banner, NOYB files a formal complaint with the data protection authority in the EU member country where the website/company is located ## Ensure GDPR compliance with Cookiebot CMP Cookiebot CMP comes with strict standard settings that automatically provides your website with a GDPR compliant cookie banner. This means that if you implement Cookiebot CMP on your website and don’t change any settings, **your cookie banner configuration will be in compliance with the GDPR by default**. If you change standard settings and are unsure whether your cookie banner still lives up to the GDPR’s requirements, [check out our easy-to-follow guide here.](https://support.cookiebot.com/hc/en-us/articles/4401873267090/) ## The GDPR’s requirements for your cookie banner Summarized, the GDPR makes the following requirements for how your website must collect end-user consents (via cookie banners) – - Prior and explicit consent must be obtained before any activation of cookies (apart from whitelisted, necessary cookies) - Users must have an equally easy choice between “rejecting” or “accepting” cookies, i.e. the “reject” option is not allowed to be hidden away in a cookie banner’s second layer. The “reject” option is also not allowed to be obscured by way of different color or design schemes - Consent must be freely given, i.e. no pre-checked boxes on the cookie banner - Consent must be granular, i.e. users must be able to activate some cookies rather than others and not be forced to consent to either all or none • Consent must be as easily withdrawn as they are given - Consent must be informed on the part of the end-users, i.e. all your cookies must be classified and correctly assigned - Consent must be securely stored as legal documentation - Consent must be renewed at least once per year. However, some national data protection guidelines recommend more frequent renewal, e.g. 6 months. Check your local data protection guidelines for compliance. ## Step-by-step guide to make your cookie banner GDPR compliant Our [step-by-step guide](https://support.cookiebot.com/hc/en-us/articles/4401873267090/) takes you through the Cookiebot CMP manager and points out all the places where a GDPR violation could occur if settings are changed. ## Frequently asked questions ## Resources [Guide for ensuring GDPR compliance with Cookiebot CMP](https://support.cookiebot.com/hc/en-us/articles/4401873267090/) [Read our blogpost on GDPR and cookie consent](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/gdpr-cookies/) [Read our blogpost on EDPB guidelines on valid cookie consent in the EU](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/edpb-guidelines/) [Noyb files 422 complaints to EU data protection authorities](https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-files-422-formal-gdpr-complaints-nerve-wrecking-cookie-banners/) [NOYB aims to end “cookie banner terror” and issues more than 500 GDPR complaints](https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-aims-end-cookie-banner-terror-and-issues-more-500-gdpr-complaints/) [WeComply! FAQ on NOYB](https://wecomply.noyb.eu/en/app/faq) [Europe’s cookie consent reckoning is coming, TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/30/europes-cookie-consent-reckoning-is-coming/) [Privacy group targets website ‘cookie terror’, BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-57306802/) ## Stay informed Join our growing community of data privacy enthusiasts now. Subscribe to the Cookiebot™ newsletter and get all the latest updates right in your inbox. Enter your email Subscribe By clicking on “Subscribe” I confirm that I want to subscribe to the Cookiebot™ newsletter. I can easily cancel my Cookiebot™ newsletter subscription and revoke consent to use my data by clicking the unsubscribe link or I can write to [[email protected]](https://www.cookiebot.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) to make the request. [Privacy policy](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/privacy-policy/). ## Download the CMP integration for your preferred CMS ## Usercentrics Cookiebot WordPress Plugin *Used by: Brand A, Brand B, Brand C* --- ## Product [Cookiebot™ Consent Solution](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-consent-solution/) · [Usercentrics for Wix](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-for-wix-by-usercentrics-app/) · [WordPress Plugin](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/new-wp-cookie-plugin/) · [Pricing](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/pricing/) ## Regulations [DMA (EU)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/digital-markets-act-dma/) · [GDPR (EU)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/gdpr/) · [CCPA (California)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/what-is-ccpa/) · [VCDPA (Virginia)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/virginia-vcdpa/) · [LGPD (Brazil)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/lgpd/) · [TCF v2.3 (IAB)](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/tcf/) · [Google Consent Mode](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-cmp-google-consent-mode/) · [Microsoft UET Consent Mode](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/microsoft-consent-mode-cmp/) ## Partners [Become an affiliate](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/affiliates/) · [Become a partner](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/resellers/) · [Find a partner](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-reseller/) ## Resources [Blog](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/blog/) · [Digital Markets Act Hub](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/digital-markets-act-dma-resources/) · [Google Consent Mode Hub](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/google-consent-mode-resources/) · [Google Consent Mode V2 Certification](https://courses.usercentrics.com/course/google-consent-mode-v2) · [Google Consent Audit Fixes](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/google-consent-audit-fixes/) · [Developer documentation](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/developer/) · [Cookiebot vs CookieYes](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookiebot-best-cookieyes-alternative/) · [Cookiebot vs OneTrust](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/onetrust-alternative/) · [Cookie Banner Cost Calculator](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-banner-pricing-calculator/) ## Company [About us](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/about/) · [Careers](https://usercentrics.com/career/) · [Support](https://support.cookiebot.com/hc/en-us/) --- [Privacy Policy](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/privacy-policy/) · [Terms of Service](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/terms-of-service/) · [Cookie Declaration](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/cookie-declaration/) · [Data Processing Agreement](https://www.cookiebot.com/en/data-processing-agreement/) ©2026 Cookiebot™ by [Usercentrics](https://usercentrics.com/)