Selected GDPR decisions from the month of March – New guidelines for using cookies and trackers in Greece

Following a review of the use of cookies and trackers on a number of popular Greek websites, the Greek DPA has published new and updated guidelines for using cookies and trackers. Details are available here (in Greek). 

It is recommended that users be informed about the use of cookies and trackers by so-called “appropriate mechanisms”, e.g. pop-up windows or banners on the relevant web page. In line with the decision of the European Court of Justice in the Planet49 case on the use of cookies, the new guidelines indicate that general information about trackers and cookies is not sufficient.

For each category, the user shall be informed of the duration of the processing, the identity of the provider, recipients and/or categories of recipients. Pre-ticked boxes or the ability to continue browsing without having given consent is illegal. Similarly, a user is not considered to have given consent solely because his/her browser is set up to accept cookies.

Overall, the new guidelines move towards stricter regulation of online trackers, as we have also seen from the Danish Business Authority in December 2011 (the rules are available here (in Danish).