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The Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) and the Public Administration School of Catalonia (EAPC) have published the sixth video in the ‘Let’s Talk About Personal Data’ series, which examines the privacy impact of internet cookies that track user activity. Cookies allow the management of personal information shared while browsing websites and provide control over it. Some are essential for proper browsing functionality, while others serve to analyze and profile user behavior.
The video specifically illustrates the business of collecting, analyzing, and selling the data traces users leave behind while browsing the internet, in order to personalize advertising based on profiles created from this activity. It does so through an interview between Núria Pedrós and Guillem López, legal experts from the Authority.
The video warns that cookie settings must be properly configured, as indiscriminately accepting all cookies can lead to losing control over personal data. It highlights the need for clear and transparent information about what cookies are, which types are used, and their purpose, so that users can reject them or selectively accept them. Additionally, the language of this information must be accessible to the average user, and it should be easy to find. This information must also be provided before obtaining user consent, except for essential cookies.
Non-essential cookies require user consent before they can be used, and this consent must be explicit, meaning checkboxes cannot be pre-selected. The option to continue browsing does not constitute valid consent, and users must be given the ability to configure cookies beforehand.
Audiovisual resources to raise privacy awareness
The new video is part of the ‘Let’s Talk About Personal Data’ series, developed by APDCAT and EAPC since 2022 to educate and raise awareness among citizens about the importance of protecting personal data. The videos are available on the APDCAT website and the EAPC YouTube channel. In addition to cookies, the series explores topics such as the value of personal data, video games and access to our data, extended reality and data protection, the risks of artificial intelligence, and the protection of health data.
The video series is part of a broader joint project aimed at raising awareness about privacy, which also includes a series of podcasts that provide an in-depth analysis of these topics. These podcasts are available on the APDCAT website and major podcast platforms (Spotify, Amazon Music, Pocket Casts, Castbox i Ivoox).
The Catalan Data Protection Authority and the Public Administration School of Catalonia have released the sixth video in the ‘Let’s Talk About Personal Data’ series, which explores the business of collecting, analyzing, and selling data traces left by internet browsing.