You know what frosts my flakes?
Mandatory cookie warnings on websites.
For years, the entire planet has had to contend with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, better known as GDPR.
It requires websites to get permission before storing or using certain information about visitors.
That information is often stored in little files, called cookies, which can remember login information, preferences, shopping activity, browsing behavior and tracking identifiers.
Sounds simple enough.
But, because many American companies also do business in Europe, those cookie warnings were imported to America.
Now you visit a website and immediately get ambushed by a popup. Users must either “Accept all cookies” or “Reject all cookies.”
Users can also opt to manage their preferences to accept “necessary cookies,” “functional cookies,” “advertising cookies” or “cookies baked by elves under a full moon.”
I JUST WANT TO READ THE ARTICLE!
Not to be outdone, California got into the act with its own sweeping consumer privacy law that is 41,700 words long.
Now cookie popups are appearing on more U.S. websites. Sometimes, rejecting cookies means certain features won’t work.
Want to watch that embedded YouTube video?
Sorry. You first need to negotiate a peace treaty with the cookie manager.
Here’s what really gets me.
Virtually every website on the planet uses cookies. Heavy internet users can accumulate thousands of cookies unless their browsers regularly clear the files.
Mine does. I have my browser set to clear cookies whenever I close it.
That means websites forget that I already accepted, rejected or managed their cookies, and that means the next time I visit, I get asked AGAIN.
I’m Grandpa Grumpy, and if protecting my privacy requires answering the same privacy question 40 times a day, maybe we’ve created a privacy system that protects everybody except people trying to use the internet.
After years of answering the same question over and over, I wonder how many people just shake their heads, click ‘Accept All’ and move on, knowing another cookie popup will be waiting on the next website.