CNIL Releases Recommendations On Multi-device Consent For Cookies And Trackers

As users increasingly engage with digital services across a wide range of devices, often while logged into a personal account, online service providers are increasingly looking for ways to obtain user preferences for the use of cookies and other similar 'storage and access' technologies via a single consent and to have each user's choices applied automatically across all authenticated environments they use.

Recognising this shift, the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL), France's data protection authority, has published recommendations on how such multi‑device consent mechanisms can be implemented in a way that is both legally compliant and user friendly. The recommendations aim to help organisations adapt to users' expectations of consistency as they switch between phones, computers, tablets and connected televisions. This overview summarises the CNIL's position and considers how it compares with the current approach of the UK's ICO.