Cookie Consent & Privacy Glossary

A contract required under GDPR between the data controller and processor that governs data processing. Known as 'Auftragsverarbeitungsvertrag' in German law, equivalent to a DPA (Data Processing Agreement).

A technique for user identification based on unique browser characteristics – without cookies, but legally problematic.

The California Consumer Privacy Act gives California consumers the right to know what data is collected and to opt-out of the sale of their data.

A formal legal warning (often from lawyers or consumer protection associations) demanding cessation of unlawful behavior, which can incur significant costs. Particularly common in German-speaking countries for GDPR violations.

A software solution that enables website operators to obtain and manage user consent for cookies and tracking in a legally compliant manner.

The explicit, informed, and voluntary agreement of a user to the processing of their personal data for a specific purpose.

The measurement of user actions (purchases, sign-ups, etc.) to evaluate advertising effectiveness.

Small text files stored by websites on the user's device. They serve to store settings, session data, or tracking information.

Manipulative design practices in cookie banners designed to trick users into accepting cookies – e.g., through hidden reject buttons.

A company that processes personal data on behalf of another (the controller) – e.g., a CMP provider.

An EU regulation that has been in effect since 2024 to ensure more competition among large platforms and has implications for consent requirements.

A contract required under GDPR between the controller and processor that regulates data processing.

A formal risk assessment that must be conducted before processing personal data with high risk.

An EU directive governing data protection in electronic communications and forming the basis for cookie consent requirements.

The world's first comprehensive AI regulation, in force since August 2024. It classifies AI systems by risk and requires transparency.

A cookie set by the visited website itself. These are often necessary for the basic functionality of the site.

The General Data Protection Regulation is an EU regulation that has governed the protection of personal data since May 2018. It applies to all companies processing data of EU citizens.

A Google feature that allows adjusting the behavior of Google tags based on the user's consent status. V2 has been mandatory since March 2024.

A browser signal that allows users to automatically communicate their privacy preferences to websites.

A tool for managing marketing tags and tracking codes without direct intervention in the website code.

An international industry association for digital advertising that develops standards like TCF.

The Brazilian data protection law (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados) is similar to GDPR and has been in effect since 2020.

A web storage mechanism that permanently stores data in the browser. Unlike cookies, this data is not automatically sent to the server.

A tracking method where an invisible 1x1 pixel image is loaded to capture user actions (e.g., Facebook Pixel).

The Protection of Personal Information Act is South Africa's data protection law, in force since 2021.

An advertising strategy where users who have visited a website are targeted with specific ads on other sites.

Similar to LocalStorage, but the data is deleted when the browser tab is closed.

An IAB standard that standardizes how websites obtain user consent and pass it on to advertising partners.

The German Telecommunications-Digital Services-Data Protection Act (Telekommunikation-Digitale-Dienste-Datenschutz-Gesetz) specifically regulates data protection for digital services in Germany and contains cookie consent requirements.

A cookie set by a domain other than the visited website. Commonly used for advertising and cross-site tracking.

A solution without provider branding that allows agencies or resellers to offer it under their own name.