The requirement that consent for a cookie must be freely given means that access to a website and its functionalities must not be made conditional upon a visitor's consent to store or access information on their device.

However, there are instances where certain functionalities rely on cookie usage, i.e. that cannot be delivered if cookies are not used. For example, if a website incorporates external content that requires third-party cookies for display—such as embedded videos or social media posts—these functionalities must be disabled if the visitor declines the relevant cookies. In practical terms, this means such embedded content cannot be displayed if the user refuses cookies from those services.