Privacy Audit Reveals Major Tech Firms Ignoring User Opt-Out Requests
Severity: Medium (Score: 54.3)
Sources: Therecord.Media, Rss.Slashdot
Summary
An independent audit by webXray found that Google, Microsoft, and Meta are not complying with California's privacy regulations, specifically the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The audit examined web traffic from over 7,000 websites in March 2026 and revealed that 55% of sites set ad cookies despite users opting out. Google failed to honor opt-out requests 87% of the time, while Microsoft and Meta had failure rates of 50% and 69%, respectively. The audit highlighted that Meta's tracking code does not check for opt-out signals, allowing cookies to be set regardless of user preferences. Each company has disputed the findings, claiming misunderstandings of their systems. The implications could lead to billions in fines for these tech giants if found in violation of state laws. Key Points: • 55% of websites set ad cookies despite user opt-out requests according to the audit. • Google, Microsoft, and Meta had significant failures in honoring opt-out signals. • The findings could result in substantial fines under California's privacy laws.