EU Member States (and Google) suddenly want to keep cookie banners

4 hours ago

The European Commission proposed to replace cookie banners with an automated signal to simplify user consent, but the plan was scrapped in the Council's latest position due to opposition from countries like Germany and France and lobbying by Google.
Cookie banners, often using dark patterns, lead to high consent rates for tracking despite low user desire, causing billions of clicks annually and benefiting the tracking industry while frustrating consumers.
Google's lobbying paper spread misinformation, falsely claiming the abolition of cookie banners would halt all online advertising and harm quality media, though media outlets are exempt and consent can still be given per-website.
Countries including Germany, France, and Poland opposed the EU proposal, likely due to pressure from the tracking lobby, removing Article 88b from the Digital Omnibus and preventing simplification for users.
The European Parliament has yet to decide on Article 88b, with negotiations ongoing; advocates urge retention of the article to align with consumer wishes and reduce bureaucracy.

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