The cookie popup is something else, and the result of misinterpreted legislation and companies trying to cry foul that they can't do whatever they want anymore.

The cookie popup is something else, and the result of misinterpreted legislation and companies trying to cry foul that they can't do whatever they want anymore. It's not at all needed for common cookie usage - just the unexpected soul-selling kind. GDPR restricts companies from using data however they want, makes you able to obtain a copy, and makes you able to require it deleted. It also required the company to document, provide a person responsible to contact, etc. It only benefits you as a consumer, and the downside in proper uses is that the webpage/app might have a page somewhere with data processing information should you be curious. Nothing major. Any nuisance are poor implementations or because companies can no longer do terrible unexpected things, like selling your data to hundreds of companies just by accessing a page, without permission, because it is nonsense no one would expect or want. And with everyone clicking "no" (which must be at least as easy as clicking "yes" as determined in court), the practice would die eventually.