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Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

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Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#21

Post by skrause »

This stupid cookie notification law was actually the main reason why I had to enable cookies permanently. My browser used to delete all cookies at the end of the session (when I closed the browser) except for a few whitelisted domains.

Then these notices popped up everywhere. So where do the sites store the information that you've already seen the notifications? In the cookies of course! So if you're actually serious about your privacy and delete cookies you will the the notices every time...

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#22

Post by blub »

Udo wrote: post #7

This whole thing is ridiculous. While adding these widgets to blocking filters seems like a workable short-term solution, the entire cookie notice scheme is unworkable in the long run. The problem is, this crap will stack up in the future, and none of it will ever get abolished. On some sites, I get a triple-stacked legalese warning banner, and I have to manually close all three of them. Since internet law will only…

Why block them? It's good that websites have to be more transparent with how they are tracking users.

It is however inconvenient for the websites. They could always stop using privacy-invading ad networks and external services which track users and then they wouldn't have to show any message.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#23

Post by oliao »

vruiz wrote: post #2

This is great not just from a user's perspective, also the fact that it exists helps pointing out the stupidity of the law.

I think they hoped this law would encourage sites that people don't expect to have cookies to not set cookies until necessary. Like state sponsored news sites for example. I mean, really: why on earth does a site like that need to set cookies? To remember which videos I have watched?

The real problem here is probably Google Analytics.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#24

Post by mstade »

Udo wrote: post #7

This whole thing is ridiculous. While adding these widgets to blocking filters seems like a workable short-term solution, the entire cookie notice scheme is unworkable in the long run. The problem is, this crap will stack up in the future, and none of it will ever get abolished. On some sites, I get a triple-stacked legalese warning banner, and I have to manually close all three of them. Since internet law will only…

Frankly, the requirement of notice could (and should) be pushed on to user agents – not sites. For one, it would help standardize both the user experience of notices – and leave the UX of website specific notices alone – but also it would improve the current state of things where many (most?) sites in the EU simply don't care or know about the legislation.

The last thing we need is more cruft sent across the wire.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#25

Post by belorn »

The reason that the EU cookie law broke down is that directly after the EU directive was issued, several lawyers from large companies changed their interpretation of an older 1995 directive that dictate how consent is given. The directive says that consent require "specific and informed indication", but lawyers from very large companies decided that the act of continuing using a website was the same thing as giving "specific and informed indication", thus users agreed to whatever policy or agreement that is linked in the banner.

I visited a conference during that time which had a panel where those lawyers was discussing this and even brought up a question if a person really could agree to 20 pagers of policy document from the mere fact of just continuing using the website, and their collective answer was yes (through one agreed that 30 pages would be too much). To my knowledge no legal case has ever tested this, and thus we got this ridiculous cookie notice system where things has gone from bad to worse after the 2002 directive.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#26

Post by blub »

vruiz wrote: post #11
cornewut wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think law is fine and there should be only a handful of sites in the Internet that would need such warnings. Problem is the abuse of technology to track users.

Even assuming that law was necessary (debatable), the idiotic thing was asking millions of websites to do this, instead of automatically in a handful of browsers. Not to mention absurdities like the fact that you need cookies to remember that the user doesn't want cookies, or even worse: https://twitter.com/jgrahamc/status/633551359774691328

Perhaps something is deeply wrong with the way companies approach the internet if millions of them have to display a notice that they are tracking their users.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#28

Post by gozo »

Udo wrote: post #7

This whole thing is ridiculous. While adding these widgets to blocking filters seems like a workable short-term solution, the entire cookie notice scheme is unworkable in the long run. The problem is, this crap will stack up in the future, and none of it will ever get abolished. On some sites, I get a triple-stacked legalese warning banner, and I have to manually close all three of them. Since internet law will only…

The "real" technical solution here is to standardize a modern authentication system separate from cookies and have things like "do not track" actually work. The industry has, seemingly deliberately, failed to do that. So the EU has rightfully argued from "first principle" that privacy and data protection is more important than the status quo in the industry.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#29

Post by glomph »

vruiz wrote: post #11
cornewut wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think law is fine and there should be only a handful of sites in the Internet that would need such warnings. Problem is the abuse of technology to track users.

Even assuming that law was necessary (debatable), the idiotic thing was asking millions of websites to do this, instead of automatically in a handful of browsers. Not to mention absurdities like the fact that you need cookies to remember that the user doesn't want cookies, or even worse: https://twitter.com/jgrahamc/status/633551359774691328

The law is only about tracking cookies not all cookies.

Re: Prebake: Block EU Cookie Notices with Adblock

#30

Post by cornewut »

prodmerc wrote: post #14
Kequc wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cookies are integral to the operation of every modern website. They offer security in the form of features like csrf protection or maintaining login state between visits. There is sufficient protection for cookies in the form of encryption and a laundry list of further details which have been added over the years. There are far larger security related concerns on the web. The cookie warnings are on par with if you ha…

Yeah, from a technology point of view, they're necessary. The law is half baked and passed only to appease people who worry about their privacy. And it really doesn't do much...

Actually the law cares only about tracking not cookies.

And there are a lot of ways to track users even without cookies.

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