In this article, you’ll see how some publishers are blending consent tools with paywalls, navigating legal gray areas, and still managing to protect both their revenue and their readers’ trust.
Key Takeaways on Publisher Monetization in 2025:
- Consent-or-Pay is gaining ground as more European publishers adopt models that offer a choice between free access with tracking or a paid, tracking-free experience.
- Legal compliance depends on execution since regulators only accept Consent or Pay when it offers a genuine, fair, and clearly explained alternative.
- Cookie walls are no longer a safe option because EU data protection authorities have ruled that access can’t be conditional on accepting tracking.
- Paywalls offer a GDPR-compliant path when they provide full access to content for a reasonable price and don’t pressure users into giving up their data.
- People respond better to transparency and balance especially when choices are easy to understand and the “Reject” button is just as visible as “Accept.”
- Technical setup must match the privacy promise because scripts that load before consent—even by accident—can result in legal risk.
- Tools like CookieScript help enforce compliance by blocking trackers, managing regional consent flows, and supporting standards like Google Consent Mode v2 and IAB TCF 2.2.
The Rise of Consent-or-Pay Models
As digital tracking comes under tighter regulatory control, publishers are rethinking how they fund free access to content. In 2025, one solution is gaining traction: the “Consent or Pay” model. This approach gives users a simple choice—agree to tracking for free access or pay for a tracking-free experience.
This model is becoming more common, especially in Europe. Publishers like Die Welt, Bild, T‑Online, Le Monde, and NZZ have already put it into practice. Visitors to their sites are typically presented with three clear options:
- Accept cookies and access for free
- Pay a monthly or one-time fee for tracking-free access
- Decline both and leave the site
The premise is straightforward: either share your data or pay a fair price instead. But its execution is closely scrutinized under privacy law.
Adoption Trends in Europe and Beyond
In January 2025, the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) released new guidance clarifying that Consent or Pay models are not automatically unlawful. Under GDPR and PECR, publishers can offer these choices—but only if they meet specific conditions:
- The user must have access to a real alternative that doesn’t involve tracking
- Paid version of the site should provide equivalent access to content
- The pricing structure can’t be so high that it forces users into giving up their data
Under Europe’s GDPR, skipping proper consent—or collecting data before a user says “yes”—can get really expensive. We're talking fines up to €20 million or 4% of your global revenue.
Other European data protection authorities have taken similar positions. Regulators in Germany (DSK), France (CNIL), Austria, Italy (Garante), and Denmark have each allowed Consent or Pay—with the same caveat: it must be fair, transparent, and offer users meaningful control.
These views depart somewhat from the EDPB’s April 2024 opinion, which cast doubt on whether this model can ever truly meet GDPR’s requirement for “freely given” consent. However, that opinion is not legally binding, and regulators across the EU have taken a more pragmatic stance.
Outside of Europe, adoption has been cautious. In the United States, there’s growing interest in laws like the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), but the legal boundaries are less defined. Some publishers are experimenting with variations, but there's no unified position yet on whether these models meet compliance standards.
In California, the CPRA (an update to the CCPA) takes user privacy seriously—and the fines show it. Publishers who ignore opt-outs, share data without permission, or don’t provide clear consent options can face penalties of $2,500 to $7,500 per violation.
How It Differs from Traditional Cookie Walls
The biggest legal and ethical distinction between Consent or Pay and a cookie wall comes down to choice. Cookie walls typically block access unless users accept tracking—something EU regulators have mostly ruled out as non-compliant.
Consent or Pay, on the other hand, gives users a genuine alternative to sharing their data. Here’s how publishers are implementing it today:
- Le Monde offers an ad-free, tracking-free subscription for €1/month
- NZZ and T‑Online provide similar options, with privacy-friendly subscriptions that unlock full content without requiring consent to tracking
Where cookie walls are built to force consent, these new models are designed to respect it—trading access either for user data or a small fee, with no pressure to choose one over the other.
Cookie Walls vs Paywalls: What’s Compliant in 2025?
A few years ago, many websites used cookie walls—pop-ups that blocked users from viewing content unless they accepted Tracking Cookies.That tactic might’ve worked in a looser regulatory climate, but in 2025, it’s no longer just outdated—it’s legally problematic.
According to the GDPR, consent has to be freely given. If the only way to see content is by agreeing to tracking, that’s not much of a choice.
Across Europe, regulators have weighed in. Their conclusions have been remarkably consistent:
- France’s CNIL ruled that cookie walls without a real alternative violate GDPR
- Austria’s DSB fined a site for requiring users to accept cookies before accessing content
- The Netherlands’ AP stated that website access cannot depend on whether someone consents to tracking
- Denmark’s Data Protection Agency has also cautioned against cookie wall use
The core issue here isn’t just technical—it’s ethical and legal: when users have no way to say “no” without being locked out, their consent doesn’t count as voluntary.
When Paywalls Can Be GDPR-Compliant
That’s where paywalls come in. Unlike cookie walls, paywalls can meet GDPR standards—if they’re built with care. The key difference? Paywalls offer a real alternative: either accept cookies and get free access or pay a reasonable fee for a tracking-free experience.
To comply with data protection rules, a legitimate consent-or-pay model must:
- Offer users a genuine, accessible alternative to being tracked
- Provide equivalent content and functionality to all users, regardless of which option they choose
- Set a reasonable price that doesn’t nudge users into accepting cookies just to avoid a high fee
- Clearly present the options, ideally in plain language (e.g., “Accept cookies for free access, or subscribe for ad-free, tracking-free access”)
The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) put it plainly in its January 2025 guidance: if your pricing or layout makes people feel forced to agree, their consent isn’t valid. A real choice means neither option feels like a trap.
Beyond the Banner: Why Technical Implementation Still Matters
Getting the banner right is only half the job. If trackers start firing before the user has made a choice, that’s a compliance failure—even if your interface looks perfect.
Here’s what a GDPR-compliant technical setup should guarantee:
- No cookies or third-party trackers load until consent is explicitly given
- Preferences are saved and honored across sessions
- Users can withdraw or change consent without friction
User Sentiment: Fairness, Trust & Willingness to Pay
Regulations may define what’s legal, but it’s user sentiment that determines whether consent models actually work in practice. And in 2025, research is revealing what users really think—not just about clicking buttons, but about the experience behind them.
A study published in arXiv in May 2025 looked at how people respond to “Consent or Pay” models across several European countries. The findings were clear: when users were asked to either accept tracking or pay a fee, many didn’t feel they had a real choice.
High prices, vague explanations, or unclear data practices made the experience feel coercive, even when technically compliant. What shaped user trust, researchers found, had less to do with the business model itself—and more to do with how it was implemented.
Users responded more positively when:
- The choices were easy to understand
- The paid option was reasonably priced
- The tracking-free experience felt truly private
- They knew they could change their decision later
Design mattered just as much as price. Another 2025 usability study showed that banners with balanced button layouts—where the “Reject” and “Accept” options had equal visibility—scored significantly higher in user trust.
Language played a role too. People were more comfortable when data use was described in plain, straightforward terms. But when banners relied on dark patterns—like color tricks or overwhelming legal jargon—users felt manipulated, even if the setup followed GDPR rules on paper.
CMP Technology: Tools That Power Consent-Based Monetization
In 2025, publishers are under growing pressure to respect user privacy while keeping revenue models intact. Legal frameworks like GDPR and CPRA require that data tracking only happens after meaningful user consent—something that goes far beyond just showing a banner.
To stay on the safe side, many teams rely on solutions that can handle the technical enforcement behind the scenes. One such tool is CookieScript, which helps make sure user choices are followed before any tracking kicks in.
Consent & Monetization with CookieScript
Here are the tools that help keep things compliant, user-friendly, and ready for privacy-first monetization:
Google Consent Mode v2 support
Sends user consent signals to Google Ads and Google Analytics, so both systems adjust their behavior based on what the user has agreed to—whether that’s full tracking or basic-only.
IAB TCF 2.2 integration
Supports the Transparency and Consent Framework, which is a key requirement for GDPR-compliant data sharing in many programmatic advertising environments.
Third-party cookie blocking
Helps prevent trackers from marketing, analytics, or social media tools from loading before the user gives explicit permission—something that’s critical for avoiding silent data leaks.
Automatic script blocking
This stops all tracking scripts by default until the user acts. It’s one of the easiest ways to reduce risk from misconfigured tags or scripts that slip through.
user consent logging
Tracks exactly when and how consent was given (or denied), which can make all the difference if regulators ever come knocking.
Adjusts banners and consent flows based on where the visitor is browsing from. That means a GDPR-compliant setup in the EU, a CPRA-focused version in California, and so on.
In Spring 2025, CookieScript earned its fourth G2 badge in a row for Best Consent Management Platform—cementing its place as the leading CMP of the year.
What CookieScript Also Offers
Beyond the basics, CookieScript includes extra tools that help simplify compliance workflows and improve how privacy is handled across your sites:
Automatic monthly cookie scans
Keeps your cookie inventory accurate with regular scans—helpful for identifying newly added scripts or changes you might not catch manually.
Advanced reporting
Gives you insights into how users interact with your banners, where consent drops off, and what regions behave differently—useful for both UX and compliance teams.
Self-hosted code
Offers an option to run CookieScript locally on your server, which gives more control and can help with performance or security preferences.
Cookie Banner sharing
Lets you reuse banner settings across multiple domains. Handy if you’re managing a publishing network or operating several properties at once.
40+ supported languages
Automatically presents the banner in the visitor’s language, helping users understand what they’re agreeing to—especially important for trust and transparency.
A built-in tool that helps you create privacy policies tailored to your data practices and keeps them aligned with current legal requirements.
CookieScript is officially certified by Google as a Consent Management Platform at the Gold Tier level. This means it meets all technical and policy requirements, ensuring proper handling of consent signals for Google Ads, Analytics, and other services—an essential step for compliance and ad eligibility in regulated markets.
In Conclusion on Publisher Monetization in 2025
Let’s be honest—by now, just following the privacy rules isn’t enough. If your site still treats compliance like a tick-box exercise instead of part of the user experience, that’s going to show.
People care more than ever about how their data’s being used, and that affects how much they trust your content—or your business. It’s worth stepping back and asking not just what you're collecting, but how you're communicating it.
Make things clear, fair, and respectful by design, and you'll be in a much better place—legally and financially.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Consent or Pay model?
It’s a setup where users either accept tracking cookies for free access or pay a small fee for an ad-free, tracking-free experience. It’s becoming more common as publishers look for GDPR-compliant ways to stay funded.
Is Consent or Pay legal under GDPR?
It can be—if done right. Users need a real choice, not a nudge. CookieScript helps publishers meet this requirement by handling region-specific consent flows and offering banner customization.
How is this different from a cookie wall?
Cookie walls usually force users to accept tracking just to view content. With Consent or Pay, there’s an actual alternative—one that CookieScript supports by enabling clear, fair user choices.
Can I show different banners based on location?
Yes, and it’s a smart move. CookieScript offers geo-targeting, so you can automatically serve GDPR-compliant banners in Europe and CPRA-focused ones in California.
Do I need a CMP to stay compliant?
If you run ads or use analytics tools, yes. A CMP like CookieScript makes sure scripts are blocked until consent is given and logs every decision in case you ever need to show proof.
Does CookieScript support Google Consent Mode v2?
It does. CookieScript is Google-certified and integrates directly with Consent Mode v2, so your ads and analytics behave based on user consent choices.
How do I know if tracking scripts are firing before consent?
That’s where automatic scans come in handy. CookieScript runs monthly cookie scans and gives you reports so you can catch misfires or new scripts that could violate compliance rules.
How can I prove users gave consent?
You’ll need solid records. CookieScript automatically logs each consent interaction—when it was given, how, and what was agreed to—which is useful during audits.