Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The French Regulatory Authority for Freedom and Computing said it has fined Google 100 million euros, or about 121 million dollars, and Amazon 35 million euros, or about 42 million dollars, for violating the French data protection law , In two separate press releases on Thursday.
The statement said, “On December 7, 2020, the Authority’s Restricting Committee, which is responsible for imposing the penalties, imposed a fine of € 100 million on Google and Google Ireland for placing advertising cookies on users’ computers. The search engine “google.fr”, without obtaining prior approval and without providing sufficient information.
The authority stated that “Google” and “Amazon” violated Article 82 of the French data protection law by allowing the deposit of cookies without prior consent from the user and the lack of information provided to users of the search engine “google.fr” or “amazon.fr”.
Google was also fined for the “partial failure of the opposition mechanism,” as the authority indicated that even after the user chose to remove “Google” cookies from his computer, the “Google” cookie still exists according to the French regulatory body. Freedom and computing.
In a statement sent to CNN on Thursday, Amazon said: “We do not agree with the decision of the French Freedom and Computing Authority. Protecting the privacy of our customers has always been a top priority for Amazon. We are constantly updating our privacy practices to ensure we meet the needs and expectations. Developed to clients and regulators and in full compliance with all laws in every country in which we operate. “
Google told CNN, “People who use Google expect us to respect their privacy, whether or not they have a Google account. We are committed to our record of providing clear primary information and controls, robust internal data management, secure infrastructure, and above all.” “Useful products. The decision under French cyber privacy laws ignores these efforts and does not take into account the fact that the French rules and regulatory directives are uncertain and constantly evolving. We will continue to engage with the French regulatory body for freedoms and computing as we make continuous improvements to better understand its concerns.”
