Google and Shein Hit With Hefty Fines in France for Cookie Misuse

TLDRs:

• France fines Google €325M and Shein €150M for violating cookie consent rules.
• Regulators cite failure to obtain informed user consent for advertising cookies.
• Shein affected 12 million French users; Google faces stricter compliance orders.
• Fines show escalating enforcement trends targeting both tech and retail sectors.

France’s data protection watchdog, CNIL, has imposed significant fines on two global companies over violations of cookie consent rules.

Google was fined €325 million (approximately US$380 million), while the fast-fashion retailer Shein received a €150 million (US$175 million) penalty.

The agency determined that both companies failed to secure users’ informed consent before placing advertising cookies on their devices, impacting tens of millions of internet users in France.

Shein Fails Consent Requirements

Shein, headquartered in Asia, was specifically cited for not providing users with clear information or easy options to withdraw consent.

Investigators found that the company had been placing cookies on the devices of approximately 12 million French users every month without adhering to proper consent protocols.

Although Shein has since updated its systems to comply with regulations, it plans to appeal the fine, arguing the company has taken corrective action.

Google Faces Escalating Penalties

Google, a repeat offender in the realm of cookie compliance, faced scrutiny for requiring users to accept tracking software when creating accounts, as well as for inserting advertising content into Gmail without proper user consent.

This latest fine represents the third cookie-related penalty Google has received from CNIL alone, following €100 million in 2020 and €150 million in 2021. Prosecutors had initially recommended a higher €520 million fine, signaling authorities’ increasing intolerance for repeated violations. Google must update its systems within six months to avoid an additional daily penalty of €100,000.

Expanding Scope of Enforcement

The fines against both Google and Shein illustrate a broader trend: regulators are taking cookie compliance seriously across industries, not just within tech.

While Google has long been a target of privacy authorities, Shein’s penalty shows that fashion and retail platforms with substantial online advertising operations are now under similar scrutiny.

Approximately 75% of marketers still rely on third-party cookies for targeted advertising, which means e-commerce platforms face heightened legal risks if they fail to implement proper consent mechanisms.

Implications for Digital Privacy Compliance

The CNIL’s enforcement action is part of an escalating pattern of regulatory oversight that spans multiple jurisdictions.

Google’s history of penalties, dating back to a $22.5 million FTC fine in 2012 for bypassing Safari’s privacy settings, reflects ongoing challenges tech companies face in balancing advertising revenue with user privacy protections. For retail companies like Shein, the fine serves as a warning that cookie misuse is no longer tolerated as a minor infraction. Industry experts predict that fines and regulatory scrutiny will continue to rise as authorities seek to reinforce GDPR and related privacy standards across Europe.

That said, both companies have the option to appeal their fines, though the penalties mark a clear signal to other digital platforms. That cookie compliance is now a critical aspect of operating in Europe.

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