Europe-based news sites enact consent-or-pay for data tracking
UK-based news sites have recently implemented the consent-or-pay model, creating a binary choice where readers must either consent to cookies or pay to opt out of data tracking.[1][2] This consent-or-pay model began rolling out on various websites when the UK and EU passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which aims to protect internet users from data exploitation.
Background
editAfter the GDPR passed in 2018, some companies responded to the regulation by implementing a consent-or-pay model, where users can either consent to data tracking via cookies or pay a small fee to opt out of all cookies. The purpose of the payment is to offset the loss of ad revenue per viewer.
Consumer impact
editThe consent-or-pay model has been claimed to violate the GDPR, and raises an ethical issue regarding privacy.[3] The European Union at EDPB adopted this opinion following the requests of the Dutch, Norway, and Hamburg DPA's (Data Protection Authorities) regarding the consent or pay models deployed by large, popular platforms such as Facebook and other platforms.[4]
According to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office, consent is defined as “any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.” 'Freely given' is later defined as giving people genuine choice over how their data is used, meaning they must be able to refuse consent without detriment, and must be able to withdraw consent easily at any time.[5]
Uses
editNews organizations across Europe, particularly in the UK and Germany, have enacted the consent-or-pay model for website visits. Meanwhile, users will see ads regardless of their monthly payment, but will be free of personalized ads generated from their personal data.
| News organization | Website | Monthly fee |
|---|---|---|
| The Mirror | £1.99 | |
| The Independent | £4 | |
| Mail Online | £2.70 | |
| Express | £1.99 | |
| Daily Mirror | ||
| The Sun | £4.99 | |
| Reach | £1.99 |
In The Sun's frequently asked questions, they answer what Pay to Reject is with this explanation on their website:
"In response to recent enforcement action by the UK Information Commissioner against publishers, we have been forced to introduce new technology to ask our subscribers to consent to the advertising cookies that support our journalism, or pay a monthly fee that means we don’t need to use them."[6]
In the case of The Sun, this is also explained to be separate to the regular subscription service offered, suggesting that the subscription service still contains personalized ads:
Your Pay to Reject account works independently from your Sun subscription. To cancel your Pay to Reject subscription please go to your account settings and scroll down to the section 'Pay to Reject Subscription'.[6]
The tech website "How-To-Geek" also demands payment to reject cookies https://www.howtogeek.com/
References
edit- ↑ "The Mirror". 15 August 2025. Archived from the original on 28 Jan 2026.
- ↑ "The Telegraph". 15 August 2025. Archived from the original on 28 Jan 2026.
- ↑ "Meta's 'Pay or Okay' Model: Legal and Ethical Implications for Publishers". UniConsent. November 28, 2023. Archived from the original on 27 Apr 2025. Retrieved 26 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "EDPB: 'Consent or Pay' models should offer real choice". European Data Protection Board (EU). 17 April 2024. Archived from the original on 26 Jul 2024. Retrieved 26 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "What is valid consent?". ICO | Information Commissioner's Office. Archived from the original on 2025-07-16. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Advertising cookie consent settings". The Sun. Archived from the original on 2 Jan 2026.