ARTICLE · 10 DECEMBER 2018

ICO Warns That The Washington Post Offers Invalid Cookie Consent Under The GDPR

Reed Smith (Worldwide)

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It has been reported that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued the US-based Washington Post newspaper with a warning about how it obtains consent for cookies from website visitors.

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Cynthia O'Donoghue

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It has been reported that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued the US-based Washington Post newspaper with a warning about how it obtains consent for cookies from website visitors.

According to a report in The Register, the ICO stated that the Washington Post's online subscription options do not allow users to opt out of cookies and other trackers free of charge. Such functionality is only possible as part of the newspaper's premium paid subscription service. The browsing options offered by the Washington Post are:

(i) free access to a limited number of articles dependent on consent to the use of cookies and tracking for personalised advertisements;

(ii) a basic subscription that provides paid access to an unlimited number of articles but which also requires consent to the use of cookies and other tracking; and

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