Photo: Nicodemars · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Born in France · Nationality French — Business / finance / tech

Jean-Baptiste Rudelle

Documented profile covering 5 controversies, including “First CNIL investigation into Criteo's advertising practices closed without action” and “New CNIL investigation into Criteo features and products”.

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Profile No. 1090 · Updated on 12 October 2026

5Documented controversies+ 1 background event

12Sources

0Formal charge · all time

0Conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

2018–2026

GDPR complaint against Criteo, €40 million CNIL fine and subsequent dismissal of appeal

Civil / administrative proceedings

Privacy International filed a complaint in 2018 targeting several data brokers and advertising technology companies, including Criteo. Following a lengthy investigation, CNIL fined Criteo €40 million in 2023 for several GDPR breaches, particularly concerning evidence of consent, transparency, access to data, withdrawal of consent and joint responsibility. The Council of State subsequently dismissed Criteo's appeal in March 2026.

State of the evidence: Documented

Sources · 4

[1]
Privacy InternationalOur complaints against Acxiom, Criteo, Equifax, Experian, Oracle, Quantcast and TapadNGOMedium reliability
[2]
CNILPublicité personnalisée : CRITEO sanctionné d’une amende de 40 millions d’eurosRegulatory authorityPrimary source
[3]
Criteo Investor RelationsStatement on CNIL decisionPress releasePrimary source
[4]
Conseil d’ÉtatDécision n° 482872 du 4 mars 2026Court decisionPrimary source

Last verified: 7 September 2026

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2018–2019

Rudelle returns to lead Criteo during crisis, followed by another CEO transition

No legal proceedings

Jean-Baptiste Rudelle returned as Criteo chief executive in May 2018 while the company faced tighter privacy rules, Apple restrictions and a sharp deterioration in its valuation. After approximately eighteen months of transformation and repositioning, he handed operational responsibilities to Megan Clarken in late 2019.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Direct responsibility

Sources · 2

[1]
Le MondeCriteo, star déchue du Web français, change de têteMediaHigh reliability
[2]
CriteoCriteo appoints Megan Clarken as Chief Executive OfficerPress releasePrimary source

Last verified: 7 September 2026

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2016

New CNIL investigation into Criteo features and products

Investigation

Criteo stated in its 2016 annual report that CNIL had opened a new investigation concerning recent features and products, while the company was also under scrutiny in other jurisdictions. The new episode confirmed growing regulatory pressure on its advertising targeting model.

State of the evidence: Documented

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionCriteo 2016 Form 10-KRegulatory filingPrimary source

Last verified: 7 September 2026

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2016

Criteo–SteelHouse litigation over click attribution and mutual fraud allegations

Civil / administrative proceedings

Criteo sued SteelHouse in the United States, accusing it of artificially generating or attributing clicks to claim advertising credit. SteelHouse responded with counterclaims alleging that Criteo manipulated its own statistics and interfered with commercial relationships. The dispute highlighted the opacity of attribution mechanisms in advertising technology.

State of the evidence: Settlement

Sources · 3

[1]
CriteoCriteo and SteelHouse jointly dismiss litigationPress releasePrimary source
[2]
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionCriteo 2016 Form 10-KRegulatory filingPrimary source
[3]
JustiaCriteo S.A. v. Steel House, Inc.Court recordHigh reliability

Last verified: 7 September 2026

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2012–2014

First CNIL investigation into Criteo's advertising practices closed without action

Investigation

CNIL opened an investigation in 2012 into Criteo's practices concerning data protection and targeted advertising. The case illustrated early regulatory concerns surrounding a retargeting model based on tracking internet users.

State of the evidence: Documented

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionCriteo 2015 Form 10-KRegulatory filingPrimary source

Last verified: 7 September 2026

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II. Documented background

Documented biographical or institutional milestones (elections, appointments, foundings, acquisitions…). These are not controversies and are not counted as such.

2017
Apple ITP abruptly threatens Criteo's tracking-based business model
Apple's tightening of Intelligent Tracking Prevention in Safari reduced advertisers' ability to track users across websites. In late 2017, Criteo warned that the effect could represent up to approximately 22 % of its 2018 revenue, prompting a strong market reaction and reviving debate over the model's dependence on individual tracking.
Sources · 2
1. Criteo — Criteo Q4 2017 Outlook Update
2. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission — Criteo 2017 Form 10-K

III. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

IV. Has something changed?

A new court decision, a missing source, a mistake? Tell us what should be updated: every request is read by the editorial team.

I. Documented controversies

Sources · 4

Sources · 2

Sources · 1

Sources · 3

Sources · 1

II. Documented background

Apple ITP abruptly threatens Criteo's tracking-based business model

III. Constellation of documented links

IV. Has something changed?