EU Member States (and Google) suddenly want to keep cookie banners!
The European Commission proposed replacing cookie consent banners with automated browser-based signals as part of its Digital Omnibus simplification package. However, Google and several EU member states, including Germany and France, have pushed back against the change, apparently preferring the current banner system.
Why this matters: Cookie banners were never really about you. They were about giving companies a paper trail showing you 'consented' to being tracked. Automated signals would shift that control back to the browser, away from the banner designed to wear you down until you click accept. Google and big ad-dependent businesses have obvious reasons to resist that. The more interesting story is that EU governments loudly calling for less regulation are also fighting to keep a system that mostly benefits data collectors, not people.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · AI governance · Compliance · General readers · Policy
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