> ministers have proposed replacing pop-up cookie alerts on websites with an opt-out system where users set cover-all data permissions in their web browser sett

> ministers have proposed replacing pop-up cookie alerts on websites with an opt-out system where users set cover-all data permissions in their web browser settings, removing the need to consent to cookies on each site they visit. That sounds like a nice idea, but are they going to make it illegal for a site to have one of those banners? The headline says "appear less", so it doesn't sound like they'll be forbidden. Of course the real reason for this law is to remove the protections of the GDPR, and the "cookie pop-ups" claim is just designed to make people continue hating the EU. If the UK government really cared about those pop-ups, they'd properly fund the UK's data regulator and bring actions against companies that don't have a one-click "Refuse cookies" option. It's also worth asking why companies started using those cookie banners in the first place, instead of complying with the spirit of the GDPR and not using unnecessary tracking cookies at all. My guess is that the pop-ups were designed as a way to gaslight users into hating the regulations, so in that sense the cookie banners have been successful. I only hope that, as these banners won't actually be illegal, companies that implement UK-specific cookie banner functionality will put up different wording for those users, saying "Thanks for voting for a government that lets us not care about your privacy any more. [Accept]"