Finally! A reject all button from Google

Earlier this year, Google was found to be in breach of European data protection laws, which means that finally, they will have a reject all cookies button on their websites and search engines.

A pain for many, Google had been requiring users to either accept cookies on their browser, or to go through the whole rigmarole of logging in and using the drop down boxes select which cookies you would accept. But that has been deemed illegal and the company has been forced to add what is standard on many other sites, a simple reject all option.

Google were fined 150 million euros earlier this year by France’s data protection agency CNIL for deploying confusing language in cookie banners. Previously, Google allowed users to accept all tracking cookies with a single click, but forced people to click through various menus to reject them all. This asymmetry was unlawful, said CNIL, steering users into accepting cookies to the ultimate benefit of Google’s advertising business.

Google’s new cookie banners now give clear, balanced choices – reject all, accept all or more options. The new options will appear on both YouTube and Google sites if you haven’t previously logged in.

If you have signed in you can adjust the tracking options through Google’s data and privacy menu.

Sammit Adhya, a Google Project Manager said in a blog post: “We’ve kicked off the launch in France and will be extending this experience across the rest of the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland.

“Before long users in the region will have a new cookie choice, one that can be accepted or rejected with a single click.”

Although the whole process should be simple for users, the question of cookies remains baffling for most with most sites operating confusing language or clumsy methods to check the customer’s preference.

The European Center for Digital Rights (noyb), which campaigns for proper cookie menus, says that 90 percent of users click to accept all cookies, but only 3 percent actually want to change them.

Critics however say that this is because of the way in which sites handle the question, often making it difficult for browsers to choose. They do believe that changes like a reject all button from Google may be small,  but could help shift the balance.

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