Do websites need my consent before using cookies?

Yes, websites in Germany must obtain your active, informed consent before placing non-essential cookies. Pre-checked boxes and 'cookie walls' are illegal.

In Ireland, a company must obtain your clear, informed consent before using non-essential cookies — unless they are strictly necessary for the service you requested.

No, requiring users to accept all cookies to access a website is not valid consent under EU law because consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.

No, it is not lawful for a UK website to force you to accept all cookies without offering a genuine choice — consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.

Yes, explicit consent is required before collecting or using cookies in South Korea, except for strictly necessary cookies.

Yes, cookies can qualify as personal information under Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) if they can identify a specific individual, either directly or when combined with other information.