One Click, 1,741 Partners: Privacy Complaint Puts dict.cc Under Scrutiny

Noyb (None of Your Business), a Vienna-based non-profit privacy rights organization, has filed a complaint against the popular dictionary platform dict.cc, accusing it of undermining the idea of “informed consent”. Here, the widely known issue of cookie placements when users are accessing companies websites and use their online services, comes to the fore.

According to noyb, users visiting dict.cc can be asked to agree, in a single click, to data processing by up to 1,741 advertising partners. The organization argues that no reasonable user can meaningfully understand or evaluate such a vast network of third parties, claiming the website to be incompatible with the standards set by the GDPR.

Noyb claims dict.cc’s consent banner does not fulfill the criteria of a lawful consent, by presenting users with overwhelming complexity and information, while nudging them toward a quick decision to accept all. The complaint has been lodged with Austria’s data protection authority (dsb), which could enforce decisions which require changes to the platform or impose fines if violations are confirmed.

The case reflects a broader issue across the internet. Cookie consent banners, now nearly ubiquitous, often confront users with dense lists of partners, layered menus, and untransparent options. Faced with this friction, many people simply click agree, instead of adjusting the settings to their preferences, to easily access content or use the service. This is raising concerns that consent has become more procedural than meaningful.

While noyb has previously targeted large tech companies over similar practices, the dict.cc complaint highlights that even smaller, widely used websites are embedded in the same complex advertising ecosystem.

Ultimately, the dispute points to a deeper tension in today’s digital economy. Advanced advertising technologies enable free and efficient online services, but they also rely on intricate data-sharing networks that are difficult to explain transparently. As a result, technical innovation continues to push the boundaries of what is practical under the GDPR - offering clear benefits to users, while simultaneously making genuine, informed consent harder to achieve in practice.

We from DP Dock, are more than pleased to assist you at any point to understand and implement the requirements of a valid consent under the GDPR. Here, understanding the essential aspects of consent to be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous is just the start. Different elements of the GDPR are getting increasingly prominent, also keeping in mind technological innovation. Please reach out at any point to schedule an introduction to our external DPO services.