The key point: dict.cc violates GDPR by forcing users with a single click to share data uncontrollably with 1,741 partners, making informed consent practically impossible.
The data protection organization noyb has filed a complaint against the online dictionary dict.cc with the Austrian data protection authority. The reason: users are coerced with a single click to release their data to 1,741 advertising partners – without being able to make an actually informed decision.
GDPR requires that consent is freely given, informed, specific and unambiguous. However, dict.cc grants 1,741 named “partners” access to user data and their devices with a single approval. Users cannot understand which companies gain access and how they use the data in practice.
noyb lawyer Felix Mikolasch quantifies the requirement for genuine disclosure: reading and understanding all privacy policies of these 1,741 companies in full would require at least 170 hours (even at just 6 minutes per policy). In addition, these partners frequently share the data with further companies. This makes it practically impossible to understand what the actual consequences of consent are. Similar practices are also evident on repubblica.it, bergfex.de and fifa.com.
noyb calls on the Austrian data protection authority to require dict.cc to delete the illegally processed data and inform all recipients of that data of the deletion. Furthermore, a fine should be imposed to prevent such violations in future. The authority could also issue a general prohibition or refer the matter to the European Data Protection Board.
Online advertising companies implement this practice across the board: they track users’ browsing behavior, interests and location to display personalized advertisements. Under EU law, online tracking is generally illegal and requires consent. However, such data is not only used for advertising purposes but is also resold by data brokers – sometimes to authorities for surveillance purposes.
Source: noyb.eu · Published 30 July 2026
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