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Important ruling on cookie banners:
Act now – “Reject all” button becomes mandatory
A recent ruling by the Administrative Court of Hanover has brought movement to the design of cookie banners: if you offer visitors to your website a simple “Accept all” option, you must now also provide an equivalent “Reject all” button. This ruling is a clear signal for more data protection and user control – and affects all companies with a website.
What does that mean in concrete terms?
The court found that consent to data processing must be voluntary, unambiguous and informed. In the case decided, the rejection of cookies was deliberately made more difficult, key information was hidden and the language of the banner was classified as manipulative. According to the court, such practices are inadmissible.
The judgment at a glance
- Equivalence: “Reject all” must be just as prominent as “Accept all”
- Simplicity: No hidden rejection options over several clicks
- Transparency: Clear, understandable language without manipulative wording
This also applies to your website
Many companies currently use cookie consent banners that urge users to consent rather than offering a real choice. This is no longer tenable – and harbors clear legal risks. Banners that require several clicks to opt out also need to be revised.
“Websites that manipulatively pressure users to give their consent are in breach of applicable data protection law and risk severe fines.”
Our recommendation
We advise all our customers to have their cookie banners checked now. This concerns both legal conformity in accordance with the GDPR and TDDDG as well as the technical implementation – especially if you use third-party tools (e.g. Google Analytics, YouTube, Facebook Pixel, etc.).
What we can do for you
As your IT partner, we support you in making your website compliant with data protection regulations:
Analysis & testing
Comprehensive check of your current cookie banners for legal compliance and user-friendliness.
Technical implementation
Implementation of a legally compliant consent management tool with equivalent options.
Documentation
Complete documentation of consents for compliance and verification obligations.
Performance optimization
Technical optimization of loading processes – cookies only after explicit consent.
Have your website checked now
Check the data protection compliance of your website today and avoid legal risks.
A look into the future
Plans by the EU Commission to reduce the flood of banners via a voluntary “Cookies Pledge” initiative have been put on hold for the time being. This makes it all the more important to adhere to the applicable rules now – also to avoid fines and strengthen the trust of your users.
Good to know
Data protection-compliant cookie banners are not only legally required, but also strengthen the trust of your website visitors and can have a positive impact on your conversion rate.
Do you need support with the implementation? Our team of experts will be happy to help you. Get in touch with us today →
