Everything you need to know about Consent Management Platforms (CMPs)

1 October 2025

When it comes to processing personal data, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) imposes strict requirements on how consent is collected and managed. Failure to comply can result in significant financial penalties.

However, many organisations still struggle to meet these requirements. How can companies ensure that users give informed consent? And how do they reliably centralise these preferences and keep them up to date and secure?

The solution? A Consent Management Platform (CMP) such as Fair&Smart to collect, manage and document users’ choices about the use of their personal data.

What exactly is a CMP? What are its benefits? How does it work, and what criteria should be considered when choosing a consent management platform? We explain everything.

What is a Consent Management Platform?

A Consent Management Platform (CMP) is a software solution that enables organisations to collect, manage, store, use and document user consent related to the processing of personal data. CMPs play a central role in enforcing data protection laws by supporting transparent, compliant management of user preferences.

In practice, a CMP takes the form of an interface integrated into a website or application. It is typically displayed as cookie banners or pop-up windows that allow users to give, refuse or modify their consent to the collection and use of their personal data. These interfaces are designed to be user-friendly, intuitive and accessible, clearly explaining what types of data are collected (for example, an email address), how that data will be used (such as for marketing newsletters) and which third parties it may be shared with (for example, partner companies offering complementary services).

CMPs emerged as a direct response to regulations such as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force in May 2018. The GDPR requires organisations to obtain explicit and informed consent before processing personal data. In practical terms, this means providing users with all the information they need to make a free and informed choice, without pressure or ambiguity.

Other laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States, the revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP) in Switzerland, or Canada’s Law 25 on the protection of personal data, impose similar obligations regarding transparency and consent. Together, these developments show how the GDPR has inspired similar regulatory provisions around the world.

Why adopt a CMP? Benefits for businesses and users

Benefits for businesses

A Consent Management Platform helps companies to meet regulatory requirements while managing the risks associated with personal data processing.

Simplified management: a CMP centralises user preferences and enables real-time updates, even in complex or multi-partner environments. This ensures that user consent is applied consistently across all platforms and partners involved, including advertising networks such as Google AdSense, analytics tools and third-party service providers.
Reduced legal risk: a CMP supports compliance by providing tangible evidence through detailed audit logs (cookies) or time-stamped consent receipts for explicit consent. This ensures full traceability of consent as it is collected, modified or withdrawn.
Marketing optimisation: data collected lawfully can be used to support targeted advertising campaigns.

Benefits for users

For users, the main benefits lie in more transparent and accessible management of their personal data.

Data control: a CMP clearly informs users about what data is collected and for what purposes it will be used.
Security and trust: user choices are respected, strengthening trust in the brand.
Improved user experience: CMPs allow users to modify or withdraw their consent in just a few clicks.

Implementing a CMP has now become essential for organisations seeking to combine compliance with transparency, while meeting regulators’ expectations. As the volume of personal data collected online continues to grow, regulators are stepping up their controls to ensure respect for user rights and prevent abuse.

Non-compliance in personal data management is becoming increasingly costly for businesses

Non-compliance is no longer an option for organisations. Poor management of user consent can have serious consequences. Since 2018, European supervisory authorities have stepped up their vigilance, and GDPR infringements have resulted in increasingly severe financial penalties. According to a study by law firm DLA Piper, cumulative fines for GDPR non-compliance reached €1.2 billion in 2024.

This trend is driven by several factors, including:

Transparency and fairness: breaches of these principles, enshrined in Article 5 of the GDPR, account for a significant share of enforcement actions. Many organisations have been penalised for using “dark patterns ” – design techniques intended to mislead or influence users – or for failing to clearly explain how personal data is collected and used.
Inadequate legal basis for processing: another recurring cause of fines is the absence of a valid legal basis for processing personal data. Some organisations wrongly rely on contractual necessity or legitimate interest, when in most cases explicit consent was the appropriate legal basis.
Regulatory focus: authorities are focusing their efforts on infringements that directly affect consumers, particularly in relation to transparency, data security and international data transfers outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

How does a Consent Management Platform (CMP) work?

Consent collection

A Consent Management Platform starts by collecting user consent from websites and applications. These notifications, typically displayed as pop-up windows or cookie banners, allow users to decide which data they agree to share and for what purposes.

The aim is to ensure that the options presented are clear, understandable and compliant with applicable regulations, such as the GDPR. The interface must be user-friendly, with clearly identified buttons and precise descriptions to support enlightened decision-making.

Storage and data management

Once users have made their choices, the CMP records their preferences in a secure database. This includes key details such as the date and time of consent, as well as the specific conditions accepted or refused.

Consent data is centralised to simplify their management and ensure updates happen in real time. Should a user decide to modify or withdraw their consent, the CMP immediately applies these changes across all connected systems. This prevents any unauthorised use of personal data.

Transmission of consent information

The Consent Management Platform can also act as intermediary bridge between users and third-party organisations involved in data processing, such as advertising platforms or analytics tools. Once consents have been collected and stored, the CMP transmits this information to the relevant partners to ensure they comply with users’ expressed preferences.

For example, if a user refuses consent, the CMP can automatically disable certain cookies, ensuring strict compliance across all parties involved.

Reporting et audits

In addition to these functions, the CMP generates detailed audit logs to provide proof of compliance implemented, in case of regulatory inspections. These reports provide a clear overview of the consent data collected, any changes made and how it has been managed over time, thereby strengthening greater transparency of the company’s practices.

For explicit consent, generating a human-readable consent receipt, modelled on the ISO/IEC 27560 standard, is recommended. This is particularly useful in the event of specific inspections or disputes with users.

Selecting a Consent Management Platform suited to your needs

Choosing the right CMP is a critical step in ensuring robust governance of personal data collection and processing, while complying with data protection and privacy standards.

The Fair&Smart solution from LuxTrust, a recognised European provider, ensures GDPR compliance while aligning with the latest guidance from European data protection authorities (DPAs) and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB).

Regulatory compliance

Since 2005, we have been providing governments and organisations with comprehensive, scalable and reliable solutions designed to digitalise processes and improve operational efficiency. Our Fair&Smart solutions enable both public and private organisations to manage personal data in compliance with the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive.

The Fair&Smart platform is exclusively owned, operated and hosted in Europe, ensuring data sovereignty and compliance with European regulations.

Technical integration and features

Fair&Smart offers solutions such as “Right Consents” and “Cookies Consents” to manage and collect both consent and trackers on websites, in compliance with GDPR requirements.

Our API facilitates integration with existing end-user applications and the synchronisation of consent and preference repositories with other business applications.

User experience

We focus on providing a seamless user experience, delivering user-friendly interfaces for managing consent and preferences. Our solutions are designed to be easily configurable and customisable, adapting to corporate branding guidelines and accessibility constraints.

Budget and scalability

Fair&Smart solutions are suitable for both small and medium-sized companies as well as large organisations. Our platform is designed to be scalable, enabling efficient large-scale consent management while keeping costs under control.

Fair&Smart – your CMP for compliant and transparent consent management

Adopting a Consent Management Platform such as Fair&Smart helps organisations ensure regulatory compliance, protect user privacy and build trust.

With features designed for businesses of all sizes and proven expertise in consent collection and tracking, Fair&Smart is a comprehensive and scalable solution.