Tech giants Google and Amazon have been fined by France 's data protection regulator , the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés , for violating rules on online advertising trackers, known as cookies.
As ordered by the regulator, Google must pay 100 million euros ($121 million) and Amazon 35 million euros.
The CNIL said both companies violated Article 82 of the French data protection law, with Google committing three offenses and Amazon two.
More specifically, the fine was imposed for placing tracking cookies on computers in France "without prior consent and without providing sufficient information."
Cookies allow technology companies to "track" their users' activity on the Internetso they can serve them with personalized ads.
Google was fined an additional fine for tracking users who had disabled ad personalization.
As stated by the CNIL, both Amazon and Google have 90 days to change the information displayed about cookies. If they do not make the necessary changes, they will face an additional fine of 100,000 euros per day until the modifications are made.
A Google spokesperson said: “People who use Google expect us to respect privacy , whether they have a Google Account or not. We stand by our history of providing upfront information and clear controls, strong internal data management, a secure infrastructure and, above all, useful products.”
He added: “Today’s decision under French e-privacy laws ignores these efforts and fails to take into account the fact that French rules and regulatory guidance are uncertain and constantly evolving. We will continue to work with the CNIL as we make continuous improvements to better understand its concerns.”
For its part, Amazon said it disagrees with the CNIL's decision.
“Protecting our customers’ privacy has always been a top priority for Amazon,” a company spokesperson said. “We are constantly updating our privacy practices to ensure we meet the evolving needs and expectations of customers and regulators and are fully compliant with all applicable laws in every country in which we operate.”
Source: CNBC
