Cliqz launches re:consent to create transparency about data sharing

Munich, September 28, 2018: Cliqz has released re:consent, a software tool that shows users which data they share with websites and platforms. Many users give their consent for the disclosure of personal data unconsciously and do not even know what extensive access rights they have granted the data collectors. When visiting Google, Facebook and the numerous websites that use the so-called consent management framework of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), re:consent shows which data they disclose and thus creates transparency. With re:consent, users can directly access the privacy settings, which are often hidden or intentionally confusing or unnecessarily complex. They can easily prohibit, for example, location access, face recognition or tracking of their Internet activities using cookies and other tracking technologies.

“re:consent is a tool that makes it easy to review, reconsider and revoke unnecessary data collection. It’s an ideal supplement to the Cliqz and Ghostery anti-tracking-technology,” said Marc Al-Hames, Managing Director Cliqz.

The free tool is integrated in the  Cliqz Browser for Windows and Mac and is also available as a Chrome extension and Firefox add-on.

Dark Patterns – Deceived by Design
The background to this is the knowledge that Internet companies such as Google and Facebook use manipulative design of the user interface, so-called dark patterns, to tempt their users to reveal more data about themselves than necessary. In its study “Deceived by Design“, the Norwegian consumer protection organization Forbrukerrådet explained how many steps are required to set up the most data protection-friendly settings on websites such as Facebook and Google. For almost all sites, it takes much longer to click through the confused privacy notices to the strictest settings than to agree to the default settings: With Facebook it takes 13 instead of 5 clicks, with Google 9 instead of 2 clicks. More Dark Patterns are explained here.

Especially since the general data protection regulation (GDPR) came into force at the end of May, dark patterns are increasingly used for the cookie consent dialogue on many websites. The website operators (publishers) often use so-called consensus management platforms, which are made available to them by the advertising industry.

About Cliqz
The mission of Cliqz is to redesign the user interface of the internet by merging browser and search. More than 100 experts from approx. 30 countries develop innovative open source software with the aim of getting users to their destination as directly as possible while protecting their privacy. Cliqz GmbH was founded in 2008 by Jean-Paul Schmetz. Since May 2013, the company with headquarters in Munich has been a majority holding of Hubert Burda Media, and in August 2016 Mozilla acquired a strategic minority holding. In February 2017 Cliqz acquired Ghostery, the global anti-tracking software market leader. More at https://cliqz.com