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Compliance5 Mar 2026· 7 min read

GDPR Cookie Consent in 2025: What Changed and What You Must Do Now

European DPAs have dramatically stepped up enforcement of cookie consent requirements.

What changed in 2025?


Cookie consent enforcement has accelerated. The key areas regulators are focusing on:


1. Pre-ticked checkboxes are illegal


Enforcement has sharpened. Any pre-selected Accept state is non-compliant.


2. Reject All must be as easy as Accept All


A Reject All button must be as prominently displayed as Accept All.


3. Consent must be purpose-specific


Each purpose (analytics, advertising, personalisation) must be individually selectable.


What you need to do


  • Audit your current banner
  • Review your vendor list
  • Check your evidence layer
  • Test with ConsentForge's scanner