Cookie files. EU plans further changes. Will the annoying banners disappear from the pages?

The current requirement to obtain consent for cookies has caused an avalanche of banners on most websites, which has become burdensome for internet users. The European Union is working on new regulations that are intended to make the process of rejecting them even easier for users.

Cookie files. EU plans further changes. Will the annoying banners disappear from the pages?
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Summary

  • Since the implementation of GDPR regulations in 2016, internet users have the option to accept or reject tracking via cookies on the sites they visit. However, the European Union (EU) recognizes the problem of annoying cookie consent banners and plans to address it.
  • Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice of the EU, stated that the European Commission is considering changes to the current regulations to alleviate the nuisance of cookie consent banners.
  • The most significant proposed change is the introduction of a "reject all" button, allowing users who do not want to use cookies to easily opt out.
  • Another proposed solution is for websites to store user preferences, presenting the consent form only once a year. The EU also hopes for the voluntary engagement of large platforms in providing transparent information about cookie use.
  • The EU plans to introduce regulations requiring sites to provide clear information about collected data and enable users to easily manage cookies.
  • Google's plans coincide with the EU's, as it began implementing a new feature called Tracking Protection into its Chrome browser on January 4, 2024. This tool aims to remove all external cookies from Google Chrome and provide users with better privacy protection.
  • The Tracking Protection feature is currently in the testing phase and will be available on devices of one percent of randomly selected Chrome users, approximately 30 million people. Google plans to introduce the feature in its entire ecosystem in the second half of 2024.

Since 2016, that is, since the entry into force of the GDPR regulations, internet users have the option to accept or reject tracking via cookies on the sites they visit. However, some websites make this process difficult with extremely annoying banners. The European Union recognizes this problem and plans to solve it.

Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice of the European Union, recently admitted in an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, that "The European Commission is considering changes to the current regulations to alleviate the nuisance of cookie consent banners".

The most important change is to introduce a "reject all" button. Thanks to this, people who do not want to use cookies will be able to quickly and easily opt out of them without having to struggle with an unfriendly user interface.

One of the proposed solutions is also storing user preferences by websites, which will allow presenting the consent form only once a year. In addition, the European Union is counting on the voluntary engagement of large platforms, such as Meta or X, in providing transparent information about the use of cookies.

Currently, when we visit websites, the browser saves various data, such as site settings or session tokens. The European Union also plans to introduce regulations that impose on sites the obligation to provide clear information about the collected data and enable users to easily manage cookies.

Reports about the European Union's plans coincide with Google's plans. On January 4, 2024, the American giant began implementing a new feature called Tracking Protection into its flagship browser. The tool is ultimately intended to remove all external cookies from Google Chrome and provide users with better privacy protection.

For now, the Tracking Protection feature is in the testing phase and will be available on devices of one percent of randomly selected Chrome users, which is about 30 million people. Google describes this as a test before introducing the feature in its entire ecosystem in the second half of 2024.

Google started blocking external cookies in Chrome browser
On January 4, 2024, Google began implementing a new feature called Tracking Protection into its flagship browser. The tool is ultimately intended to remove all external cookies from Google Chrome and provide users with better privacy protection. The solution is currently in the testing phase.