Global Privacy and Data Protection Awards 2021: CNIL awarded for its CookieViz 2.0 software and its analyses

CookieViz is a software developed by the CNIL's digital innovation laboratory (LINC). It allows to display the cookies stored by third party domains when browsing the Web. Its source code is freely accessible and can be enhanced by developers.

At the end of 2020, the CNIL updated this software and published an analysis on the use of cookies on websites with the highest viewing figures in France. This work was carried out in parallel with the adoption of the CNIL's guidelines and recommendation on cookies and other tracking devices.

Cookieviz made it possible to detect the cookies deposited on the first page viewed by an Internet user. Based on these results and to make them aware of the risks incurred in case of non-compliance, the CNIL decided to send a letter to a selection of websites which were storing cookies from more than 6 third-party domains  without prior consent from users.

This approach is part of the CNIL's support and advice missions. The objective is to encourage public and private organizations to quickly audit their websites and mobile applications in order to take action, if necessary, to inform users about the deposit of cookies and to obtain their consent.

This initiative was awarded on October 20, 2021 at the 43rd World Privacy Assembly hosted by the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI), the Mexican Data Protection Authority.