Glossary/Privacy and identity/GDPR and cookies
What does GDPR mean for cookies on publisher websites?
How GDPR and the ePrivacy rules work together for cookies, and what a publisher needs for valid consent.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readUnder EU rules, the ePrivacy Directive requires consent for non-essential cookies, and GDPR sets what valid consent means and governs the personal data those cookies collect.
What valid consent looks like
| Requirement | In practice |
|---|---|
| Freely given | Readers can say no as easily as yes |
| Specific | Separate choices per purpose |
| Informed | Clear language about who uses the data and why |
| Unambiguous | An active choice; no pre-ticked boxes |
Cookie categories
| Category | Consent needed? |
|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | No |
| Preferences | Usually |
| Analytics | Usually |
| Advertising | Yes |
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
Keep a record
Publishers must be able to show that consent was given. A consent management platform stores each choice and passes it on to vendors.
Addressability at Stampen Media after moving its reader data into one layer with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
Cookie IDs are online identifiers and count as personal data under GDPR.
Rules differ by country. Check your national regulator’s guidance.
There is no single rule. Many ask again every 6 to 13 months.
No. The EU Court of Justice ruled them invalid in 2019.
Related terms
The EU rules behind cookie consent.
Collects and stores readers’ consent choices.
The share of readers who accept data use.
The industry standard for passing consent to ad tech vendors.
A GDPR legal basis other than consent.
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