The banners themselves are not legally required, neither by the GDPR nor by the EPR. What is required (at least from a EU standpoint) is (taken from https://gdp

The banners themselves are not legally required, neither by the GDPR nor by the EPR. What is required (at least from a EU standpoint) is (taken from https://gdpr.eu/cookies/ https://gdpr.eu/cookies/): - Receive users’ consent before you use any cookies except strictly necessary cookies. - Provide accurate and specific information about the data each cookie tracks and its purpose in plain language before consent is received. - Document and store consent received from users. - Allow users to access your service even if they refuse to allow the use of certain cookies - Make it as easy for users to withdraw their consent as it was for them to give their consent in the first place. Site owners don't have to use obnoxious banners to comply with any of these obligations: - User consent can be collected _when the cookie is used_ rather than preemptively. - Information can be provided when consent is asked and/or at a specific URL linked from the footer. - Documenting and storing is a no-brainer. - Allowing users to access the service without certain cookies is also a no-brainer. - Allowing the user to change their mind can also be a simple form at a specific URL linked from the footer. So-called cookie banners exist because they are simpler and cheaper than designing online services properly.