On May 31, NOYB filed over 500 draft complaints to companies in 33 EU countries<\/a> who use cookie banners on their websites in ways that violate the GDPR\u2019s requirements for protection of end-users\u2019 personal data, e.g. by nudging end-user behavior or simply by being overly complex in their design (also known as \u201cdark patterns\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using a newly developed technology that can map out a website\u2019s consent flow and determine whether it\u2019s in violation of the GDPR, NOYB plans to send up to 10,000 such draft complaints to websites before the end of 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On August 17, NOYB then filed 422 complaints to data protection authorities in ten EU countries<\/a>, making good of their threat to pursue legal action on the companies that didn\u2019t 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\u2019s GDPR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the EU\u2019s GDPR<\/a> and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB)<\/a>, consent to cookies on website must be freely given<\/strong>, specific<\/strong>, informed<\/strong>, and unambiguous<\/strong> to be valid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why cookie banners must give end-users a clear yes\/no choice between accepting or rejecting cookies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The websites in NOYB\u2019s cookie banner complaints violate this basic requirement in different ways, including \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you use cookies in compliance with the EU\u2019s GDPR?<\/strong> Guide on how to ensure that your cookie banners are GDPR compliant<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Led by the famous and fierce data privacy activist Max Schrems, NOYB has fought several major data privacy battles in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most famous is their win in the CJEU case<\/a> that brought down the EU-US data transfer scheme known as the Privacy Shield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With NOYB\u2019s cookie banner campaign, renewed focus and intensified scrutiny is being put on clearing out and trimming down the many deceptively complex and non-compliant consent schemes that leave end-users frustrated, and their personal data ill protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scan your website for free to see all cookies and trackers in use<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Try Cookiebot CMP free for 14 days<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 or forever if you have a small website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cookiebot CMP<\/a> comes with strict standard settings that automatically provides your website with a GDPR compliant cookie banner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This means that if you implement\u00a0Cookiebot CMP\u00a0on your website and don\u2019t change any settings,\u00a0your cookie banner configuration will be in compliance with the GDPR by default<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you change standard settings and are unsure whether your cookie banner still lives up to the GDPR\u2019s requirements, check out our easy-to-follow guide here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n At Usercentrics, the parent-company of\u00a0Cookiebot CMP, we work to protect end-user privacy by delivering easy-to-use and automatic compliance solutions to websites all over the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We believe that our solution can help foster a thriving, sustainable internet economy by balancing data privacy and data-driven business around end-user consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cookiebot CMP\u00a0is highly customizable so that websites anywhere can configure their cookie banners to fit the local and relevant data protection requirements, and to make sure they fit with website designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cookiebot CMP\u2019s\u00a0world-leading scanner automatically detects all cookies and trackers on your website and controls them in an easy-to-use cookie banner that lives up to all requirements by the EU\u2019s GDPR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cookiebot CMP\u00a0offers compliance solutions for all major data privacy laws \u2013 not just\u00a0EU\u2019s GDPR<\/a>, but also\u00a0California\u2019s CCPA\/CPRA<\/a>,\u00a0Brazil\u2019s LGPD<\/a>,\u00a0South Africa\u2019s POPIA<\/a>,\u00a0Canada\u2019s PIPEDA<\/a>,\u00a0Thailand\u2019s PDPA<\/a>,\u00a0Malaysia\u2019s PDPA<\/a>\u00a0and many others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following NOYB\u2019s cookie banner campaign, we have created an overview of possible GDPR violations and a step-by-step guide for how you can ensure that your cookie banner is configured in GDPR compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our step-by-step guide<\/a> takes you through the Cookiebot CMP manager and points out all the places where a GDPR violation could occur if settings are changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See our guide to make your Cookiebot CMP banner fully GDPR compliant<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Scan your website for free to find and control all cookies in use<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Try Cookiebot CMP free for 14 days<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 or forever if you have a small website<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the EU\u2019s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)<\/a>, it is the legal responsibility of website owners and operators to ensure that personal data from individuals inside the EU is only collected and processed if end-users have given their prior, explicit consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Summarized, the GDPR makes the following requirements for how your website must collect end-user consents (via cookie banners) \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re in doubt whether your website\u2019s cookie banner meets all the above GDPR requirements, check out our easy guide here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Guide to ensure GDPR compliance with Cookiebot CMP<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about the GDPR and cookies<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Scan your website for free to see all cookies in use<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Cross](\"\/media\/4125\/noyb-image-1.jpg?width=450&&mode=max\")
What are the common findings in NOYB\u2019s cookie banner campaign?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Scan your website and become compliant for free with Cookiebot CMP<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nNOYB\u2019s cookie banner campaign, summarized<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Ensure GDPR compliance with Cookiebot CMP<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Step-by-step guide to make your cookie banner GDPR compliant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Illustration](\"\/media\/4127\/noyb-image-2.jpeg?width=450&&mode=max\")
The GDPR\u2019s requirements for your cookie banner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Illustration](\"\/media\/4128\/noyb-image-3.jpeg?width=450&&mode=max\")
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