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>Preventing you from seeing the page you request if you do not consent seems a lot like the provision of a service conditional on consent.

You are correct. However, the prohibition against "a service conditional on consent" can be overcome (inter alia means "among other things") and one of the ways it can be overcome is if the user is given a choice to instead select "a consent-free equivalent service for a reasonable remuneration."[1]

This is the result of a ruling by the Austrian Data Protection Authority (DPA) evaluating an case in which users could access an Austrian newspaper by either (a) consenting to personalized advertising or (b) paying a subscription fee of 6 Euro / month.

The DPA found that these options were not considered a "significant detriment" to users (i.e. it was not considered coercive) and was therefore valid.

It's worth noting that the UK found otherwise, saying that "for the user to have a genuine choice, a consent-free alternative would have to be offered free of charge."[2]

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[1] Austrian Data Protection Authority (case no. DSB-D122.931/0003-DSB/2018)

[2] Validity of consent coupled with free online services - Chair of EDPB opens a path https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5125ca7c-84fa...




I'm no fan of advertising but The UK ruling seems absurd to me, what other form of business is expected to provide their service for free?




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