Cookie popups have been around since long before the GDPR. They started with the EU ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC) passed in 2002 and amended in 2009. So alth

Cookie popups have been around since long before the GDPR. They started with the EU ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC) passed in 2002 and amended in 2009. So although people now associate them with the GDPR, cookie popups were already an annoyance for many years before. Unfortunately, the UK seems to be taking advantage of the (rightful) public backlash against cookie popups to also try to revoke many of the good parts of the GDPR.