Meta Platforms Ireland (Facebook)

What happened

The CNIL fined Facebook €60 million for the same cookie consent violation pattern identified in the Google case. On facebook.com, users could accept all cookies with a single click but had to navigate multiple screens and settings to refuse them. The CNIL found this design manipulated user behavior, making it significantly easier to consent than to decline. The asymmetric cookie banner failed to meet the requirement that refusal be as easy as acceptance. This decision, issued alongside the Google cookie fine, established a clear CNIL enforcement position against dark pattern cookie consent designs across major platforms.

Articles violated

Lessons learned

Cookie consent design is a regulatory priority for EU DPAs. The enforcement pattern is clear: accept and refuse must be equally accessible. Even large platforms are not exempt from national DPA jurisdiction on cookie matters. Companies operating in France should audit cookie banners for consent symmetry and implement changes proactively rather than waiting for enforcement.