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Kwanko is a French headquartered affiliate marketing and performance network operating across Europe and Latin America. It connects advertisers with publishers via tracked links, pixels, server to server postbacks, and a mobile SDK to attribute clicks, leads, sales, and app installs.
Kwanko is a long established affiliate marketing and performance network founded in France and now operating across Europe and Latin America from Paris, Madrid, Munich, Milan, and other cities. It runs an advertiser side platform and a publisher side network, connects influencers, content sites, cashback portals, and email partners to brands, and pays them on a performance basis (CPA, CPL, CPI). Tracking is implemented through redirect links, pixels, JavaScript tags, server to server postbacks, and a mobile SDK.
When a visitor clicks a Kwanko monitored link, Kwanko sets one or more first party or third party cookies on the advertiser site to memorise the click, the publisher ID, the campaign, and the timestamp. On conversion, the advertiser fires a pixel or an S2S call that includes the order amount, currency, basket items, an order ID, and the visitor identifier. Mobile integrations rely on advertising IDs (IDFA, GAID) and SDK events. IP addresses, user agents, and referrer URLs complete the dataset.
Affiliate tracking writes and reads information on the user device for cross site marketing purposes, so ePrivacy Art. 5(3) and the implementing national laws (French TPE rules, German TDDDG, Italian Garante guidelines) require a consent that is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous before any tag fires. The processing of click, conversion, and device identifiers is personal data under the GDPR, and Kwanko is generally a processor for the advertiser, while jointly controlling certain network level data with publishers.
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Before the Kwanko tag fires, the cookie banner must offer accept and refuse with equal prominence, name Kwanko in the third party list, and disclose the purpose (affiliate attribution, advertising). CNIL has explicitly addressed affiliate cookies in its Q and A and reminds publishers and advertisers that consent must be granular, that pre ticked boxes are not valid, and that withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it. AEPD, BfDI, and the Garante have aligned positions.
Kwanko is headquartered in Paris and runs its core infrastructure in the EU, which is a meaningful advantage compared to US based affiliate platforms. However, the affiliate ecosystem is wide: publishers, ad networks, analytics, and fraud detection partners may sit outside the EEA. The advertiser should review the Kwanko sub processor list, sign Art. 28 contracts, and rely on Standard Contractual Clauses plus a Transfer Impact Assessment for any non EEA flow.
Sign a DPA with Kwanko, integrate its tag inside your consent management platform, and only fire the click pixel and the conversion pixel after the user accepts the marketing category. Prefer server to server postbacks where possible, mask sensitive basket details, set short cookie lifetimes (CNIL recommends a maximum of 13 months and a renewed consent thereafter), and update the privacy policy and cookie table with Kwanko, its purpose, the cookies it sets, the data sent to publishers, and the EU hosting plus any non EEA sub processors.
Websites using Kwanko must obtain user consent under GDPR regulations.
DPIA considerations
A DPIA is recommended whenever Kwanko is integrated at scale, because affiliate tracking involves cross site profiling, click and conversion correlation, and integrations with multiple publishers and analytics tools. Document the lifecycle of click and conversion identifiers, the cookies set, the server to server flows, the sub processor list, and the retention. CNIL has published specific guidance on affiliate cookies and consent, and BfDI, AEPD, and the Garante apply equivalent rules in their jurisdictions.
Sample consent text
We use Kwanko, a French affiliate marketing network, to attribute clicks and sales to our partner publishers. With your consent, Kwanko sets cookies and collects technical and conversion data, primarily on EU based servers. You can accept, refuse, or change your choice at any time in our cookie settings.
Third-party domains contacted
kwanko.comtracking.publicidees.comaction.metaffiliation.comrtg.kwanko.comstatic.kwanko.comCookies placed
| Name | Type | Duration | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| kwanko_click | third_party | 30 days | Stores the click on a publisher link (publisher ID, campaign, timestamp) so a later conversion can be attributed. |
| kwanko_uid | third_party | 13 months | Anonymous visitor identifier used for cross device and cross session attribution within the Kwanko network. |
| metaffiliation_id | third_party | 30 days | Legacy MetAffiliation tracking cookie used by historical Kwanko integrations to map clicks to conversions. |
| kwanko_conv | third_party | Session | Helper cookie set on the conversion page to deduplicate transaction events between client side and server to server. |
Kwanko places tracking cookies for advertising — comply with GDPR using FlowConsent.
Yes. Kwanko sets first party or third party cookies on click and on conversion to attribute sales and leads to the originating publisher. Mobile integrations also use advertising IDs and SDK events. None of these is strictly necessary for a service the user requested, so they require prior consent in the EU.
Yes. ePrivacy Art. 5(3) and the implementing national laws require prior consent for any non strictly necessary cookie or tracker. The GDPR also requires a lawful basis, generally Art. 6(1)(a) consent, for the processing of click and conversion data tied to identifiable visitors.
Consent under GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) is the standard basis for affiliate cookies and pixels. CNIL, AEPD, BfDI, and the Garante reject legitimate interest for cross site marketing tracking. Kwanko itself is a processor under Art. 28 for the advertiser, with joint controllership for some network level data.
Kwanko core infrastructure is in the EU, which is favourable. However, sub processors, publishers, and ancillary services may sit outside the EEA. Review the sub processor list, rely on Standard Contractual Clauses and a Transfer Impact Assessment, and document supplementary measures where applicable.
A DPIA is recommended for any large scale affiliate deployment, because the processing involves cross site profiling, large volumes, and multiple recipients. Document data flows, retention, the sub processor list, and your consent and opt out workflows. Refer to CNIL, AEPD, BfDI, or the Garante.
Place the click and conversion pixels behind your CMP, fire them only after consent, prefer server to server postbacks for sensitive parameters, mask basket details, limit cookie duration, and store proof of consent. Sign the DPA and update your records of processing under Art. 30.
Affiliate tracking peers include Awin, Tradedoubler, Effiliation, Webgains, CJ Affiliate, Rakuten Advertising, and Impact. Most use comparable cookies and pixels and require the same ePrivacy consent. EU based platforms such as Kwanko, Awin, Tradedoubler, and Effiliation simplify the transfer story compared to US platforms.
List Kwanko explicitly with its purpose (affiliate marketing, performance attribution), the cookies it sets, their duration (CNIL recommends a 13 month maximum), the data sent to publishers, the hosting region (EU), and any non EEA sub processors. Link to the Kwanko privacy notice and refresh on each integration change.