A Belgian court says the way big tech companies ask for user consent to show ads doesn’t follow EU data protection rules and should be changed to better protect people’s privacy.

In a big decision, Belgium’s Court of Appeal has said that a major method for getting people’s online consent, used by companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and X, doesn’t follow EU privacy rules. The ruling centers on a crucial system known as the TCF, a common tool for tracking and targeting ads such as RTB.

The case started after a group called the Irish Council for Civil Liberties complained in 2022 that Google wasn't being clear with users about how it gets their location data and doesn't get full permission.

Dr. Ryan was happy about the court’s ruling, saying that it indicates that the AdTech industry’s process for getting people’s consent is really misleading for many people. It’s a reminder to big tech companies that they should stop using techniques like tracking people for online ads.

The court decided that the TCF does not comply with GDPR rules, raising concerns about the practices of many AdTech companies. The decision may encourage people to come up with new advertising methods that respect people’s privacy instead of using their personal information.

The Belgian law firm Timelex provided legal assistance for the campaigners. The ruling now sets an important example for how AdTech companies need to obey the laws in Europe in the future.