Let's call on the UK Government and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to reform cookie consent rules so that internet users can browse freely — without being interrupted by popups or manipulated into accepting tracking. Plain boring as hell right... we just want to get to a website and do our needed without hastle!

Under the UK GDPR, websites must obtain user consent before setting non-essential cookies. However, in practice, users are routinely bombarded with intrusive banners and “consent walls” that pressure them into agreeing. These interfaces are often designed to nudge users toward tracking rather than genuinely offering a fair choice.

Current cookie consent mechanisms:

Are intrusive and repetitive
Often require multiple clicks to reject all tracking
Rely on manipulative design patterns that hide or downplay privacy-friendly options
Waste users’ time and create frustration for something they never asked for

This approach goes against the spirit of UK GDPR, which is meant to empower individuals with control over their personal data — not exhaust them into compliance.

Most users do not want to be tracked, yet rejecting cookies is consistently made harder than accepting them. This imbalance violates basic principles of fairness and informed consent.
 
What we’re asking for is simple:
Make “no consent” the default – unless a user explicitly opts in, websites should assume that tracking is not permitted.
Remove the need for popups – if tracking is off by default, there is no reason to interrupt users at all.
Ban manipulative consent banners – including those that obscure or hide “Reject All” options behind confusing or multi-step interfaces.
 
It’s time to stop treating privacy as a nuisance and start making it the default.
Most people just want to browse the internet — not be tracked, not be interrupted, and not be tricked.

We urge the UK Government and the ICO to modernise and enforce cookie consent standards that respect user privacy by default.

Let’s end banner fatigue, uphold the law in both letter and spirit, and restore a cleaner, simpler internet for everyone.