Yahoo has introduced new privacy measures for users in Spain, emphasizing transparency and control over personal data and cookie use. On its websites and in its applications, the company now lets users reject all cookies or customize their privacy settings. The changes address growing concerns about digital privacy and data protection.
Yahoo says cookies and similar technologies, including web storage, store and access information on users’ devices. These tools let website and app operators improve the user experience and deliver personalized content. Spanish rules distinguish technologies strictly necessary to provide a service explicitly requested by the user from optional tools used for analytics or other purposes, such as advertising. Necessary technologies may be exempt from consent requirements, but that exemption does not automatically cover tracking for additional purposes.
Users who prefer not to share personal data or allow cookies for additional purposes can select 'Reject All' or use the 'Manage Privacy Settings' feature to tailor their preferences. Under Spain’s cookie structure, set out in Article 22.2 of the Information Society Services Act (LSSI-CE) alongside the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), non-impressive cookies generally require prior, affirmative consent. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) says continued browsing alone does not amount to valid consent. Its guidance calls for rejection to be offered as visibly and accessibly as acceptance. Users can withdraw or change consent at any time through the 'Privacy and Cookie Settings' or 'Privacy Panel' links available across Yahoo's platforms; AEPD guidance also says withdrawal should be as easy as giving consent.
The GDPR requires consent, when used as the legal basis for processing, to be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. Choices should so distinguish among purposes, including analytics and other uses such as advertising or personalization, rather than bundle them into a blanket acceptance. Optional categories should stay inactive until users affirmatively choose them. Consent records also help demonstrate what a user selected and under which policy. Spanish compliance guidance treats 24 months as a good-practice maximum for cookie consent, with a renewed choice potentially needed if purposes or participating third parties materially change.
Yahoo also directs users to its updated Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for details on how it handles personal data. The documents describe the scope of data collection and use, along with users’ rights under current regulations. The changes reflect a broader trend among digital platforms to comply with developing privacy laws and give users more meaningful choices about their online data.
In Spain, digital privacy is governed by national and European rules, including the GDPR, while the AEPD oversees data-protection compliance. The cookie structure allows services to keep functioning after a user rejects optional cookies: strictly necessary technologies may still operate, while optional data uses remain subject to the user’s choice. Yahoo’s controls follow this established approach, giving users ways to refuse optional cookies and choose by purpose, with persistent privacy settings that let them revisit their decision.
