Goodbye, Cookie Pop-Ups? Inside the EU’s Battle to Fix Cookie Consent Laws
The EU’s 2009 amendment to the ePrivacy Directive required websites to get user consent before storing most cookies, triggering widespread cookie banners across Europe by 2011. Users now routinely face pop-ups, with studies estimating hundreds of millions of hours spent on consent prompts annually. Critics say the banners undermine privacy and lead to “consent fatigue.” Regulators have acknowledged the system’s shortcomings and are pursuing reforms.