France: the CNIL stands against cookies

The National Commission on Informatics and Liberties ( CNIL) confirms that websites and advertising agencies should get the webuser’s approval before storing cookies on computers .
This is a further step towards a less intrusive internet navigation. The CNIL has issued a “recommendation” that limits the use of cookies, this sort of invisible software that gets installed on computers and mobile phones and let website and advertising companies know about the online activities of the Internet users.

Cookies should now be installed without the user’s approval when they are used for advertising purposes. This CNIL recommendation is not a legal obligation, but it sets a standard that compel internet websites to be in compliance with the Data Protection Act .
Cookies can certainly be useful as they allow for example to save your navigation language or store your passwords. But they also give amazing clues about your interests, internet search, offering a unique way for advertisers to target their promotion messages.

France only applies EU directives strengthening the obligation to inform users regarding cookies. These standards require that the storage of cookies can be implemented only with users’ prior approval.

The CNIL lists down “the principles that should be followed to enable the use of such devices in the conditions laid down” by the Data Protection Act. Among the types of cookies “requiring information and prior approval of the user, “the CNIL mentions those “relating to transactions for targeted advertising ,” those used to measure the audience or the ” tracers ” of social networks generated by the sharing buttons . These cookies ” may be delivered or read on the terminal as the person does not consent ,” he said is this “recommendation” that caters to website publishers but also to their “partners” as advertising agencies and social networks . The CNIL recommends that users be informed ” in simple and understandable different purposes of cookies introduced and read words” , and they can accept or not.

The CNIL has also launched a tool called ” Cookieviz ” downloadable for free on its website, which allows everyone to visualize in real time the filing and reading cookies during browsing , “to know that the site you visit address information . ”

The best way to protect yourself is to use a VPN, so as to encrypt all of your communications and data transfer on the Internet. Thus, no one can analyze your browsing information and can no longer offer you ads based on your personal data. In addition, targeted advertising also uses geolocation to increase its effectiveness. With a VPN, you can easily change your IP address by selecting a hosting country between several servers worldwide. The VPN allows you to hide both your personal information and your country. Your connection is made reliable and anonymous, and you can stay free on the Internet, away from prying eyes.