KEY POINTS
  • France's data privacy watchdog has fined Google for making it difficult for internet users to refuse online trackers known as cookies.
  • Meta Platforms' Facebook was also fined 60 million euros for the same reason.
  • "The CNIL has found that the facebook.com, google.fr and youtube.com websites do not allow to refuse cookies as easily as it is to accept them", the watchdog said in a statement, also citing Google's video-streaming platform.
The Google logo displayed on a smartphone screen.

France's data privacy watchdog CNIL said on Thursday it had fined Alphabet's Google a record 150 million euros ($169 million) for making it difficult for internet users to refuse online trackers known as cookies.

Meta Platforms' Facebook was also fined 60 million euros for the same reason, the CNIL said.