←back to thread

Internet's biggest annoyance: Cookie laws should target browsers, not websites

(nednex.com)
583 points SweetSoftPillow | 1 comments | 22 Oct 25 12:12 UTC | HN request time: 0.208s | source
Show context
michaelmauderer ◴[22 Oct 25 12:36 UTC] No.45668112[source]▶
The problem here is not the law, but malicious compliance by websites that don't want to give up tracking.

"Spend Five Minutes in a Menu of Legalese" is not the intended alternative to "Accept All". "Decline All" is! And this is starting to be enforced through the courts, so you're increasingly seeing the "Decline All" option right away. As it should be. https://www.techspot.com/news/108043-german-court-takes-stan...

Of course, also respecting a Do-Not-Track header and avoiding the cookie banner entirely while not tracking the user, would be even better.

replies(27): >>45668188 #>>45668227 #>>45668253 #>>45668318 #>>45668333 #>>45668375 #>>45668478 #>>45668528 #>>45668587 #>>45668695 #>>45668802 #>>45668844 #>>45669149 #>>45669369 #>>45669513 #>>45669674 #>>45670524 #>>45670593 #>>45670822 #>>45670839 #>>45671739 #>>45671750 #>>45673134 #>>45673283 #>>45674480 #>>45675431 #>>45678865 #
UltraSane ◴[22 Oct 25 13:19 UTC] No.45668695[source]▶
No. I absolutely do not want to be asked to accept cookies for every single website I visit.
replies(2): >>45668899 #>>45681107 #
Spivak ◴[22 Oct 25 13:32 UTC] No.45668899[source]▶
This is the problem, the law clearly recognizes tracking as something people don't want. The fact that they let every website beg you to allow tracking instead of banning all but functional cookies is the problem. They capitulated to advertisers and this is the result.

Nobody wants this crap.

replies(1): >>45669038 #
1. Nextgrid ◴[22 Oct 25 13:42 UTC] No.45669038[source]▶
The regulation actually specifies what counts as informed consent. Annoying users into accepting tracking does not count.

The problem is that there's a chronic lack of enforcement, so the winning strategy is to breach the regulation. Worst case scenario, you will merely be forced to clean house at some point (but can enjoy the rewards of tracking until then).