Kill The Cookie Banner

Tired of misleading cookie banners? The EU Commission has finally proposed a solution: set your privacy preferences in the browser once, and never see another banner. Unfortunately, the tracking industry is pushing back – and so far, they’ve been successful. We need YOUR help to #KillTheCookieBanner !

You may think that EU privacy law requires cookie banners. But the law is clear: online tracking is prohibited by default.

Therefore, the tracking industry needs you to waive your rights. That’s why they invented cookie banners, which often are deliberately misleading as well as annoying.

This results in up to 90% of people saying “YES” – even though only around 3% actually want to be tracked online. This system is broken by design.

In Autumn 2025, as part of a bigger legal reform *, the EU Commission finally proposed a solution to the cookie banner problem: automated signals that would communicate your privacy preferences between your device and websites or apps. You could then choose whether you want to accept, refuse, or limit tracking.

This idea is neither new nor complex. Your browser already automatically signals other preferences to websites, for example your preferred language. In some US states, such signals for privacy preferences are already legally supported.

This would be a simple solution. But the tracking industry seems afraid that if you can express your preferences efficiently, it could result in lower consent rates for tracking.

Following lobbying efforts spearheaded by Google and the tracking industry, several Member States are now blocking the EU Commission’s proposal to get rid of the cookie banner.

But not only that: industry groups are also lobbying the European Parliament to reject the proposal.

That’s where you come in: the fight to kill the cookie banner is far from over. The Member States and the European Parliament have not yet decided on their position on the issue yet.

You can take action by contacting your representative in the European Parliament or in your Member State and express your frustration.

*This proposal for privacy signals is part of an EU law reform called the Digital Omnibus. Most other parts of this reform are problematic and would weaken people’s rights. We want to make clear that we do not support these other aspects of the proposed reform.

*This proposal for privacy signals is part of an EU law reform called the Digital Omnibus. Most other parts of this reform are problematic and would weaken people’s rights. We want to make clear that we do not support these other aspects of the proposed reform.

Contact your relevant representative in the European Parliament or national government and express your frustration!

Your organisation wants to support this initiative as well? Find out how you can get involved here !