The case for banning cookie banners
The Vergecast: Ad-Free Edition
Cookie banners' legal origins in Europe
Kate traces cookie-banner origins to EU e-privacy law, cookies' technical role, and early ad-tracking concerns.
Cookie banners — those pop-ups that appear on practically every webpage demanding you accept their tracking systems — are one of the most consistent low-grade annoyances of life online. But Kate Klonick, a professor and writer, argues they're actually much worse than that, and the only plausible solution is to get rid of them entirely. After that, The Verge's Allison Johnson tells us about her AI-enhanced Google Maps experience, and why the new Ask Maps feature has the potential to be both incredibly cool and incredibly creepy. Then, she helps David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about whether E Ink phones might solve all our problems.
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00:00 Side Phone Click Wheel
01:39 Today’s Two Big Topics
02:35 Why Cookie Banners Suck
06:04 Cookie Banner Origin Story
11:34 Burn It Down Argument
16:05 Better Privacy Alternatives
23:18 Brussels Effect and Apple
28:30 Will the EU Fix Cookies
32:58 Ask Maps Meets Gemini
35:11 Recreational Maps Users
39:29 Letting AI Plan a Day
43:49 Ask Maps Day Plan
44:34 Did It Save Time
46:25 Discovery Versus Safe Zones
47:54 Letting Maps Decide
49:58 Filtering Fatigue
51:03 AI Data Ethics
55:09 Privacy Tradeoffs
57:59 Creepy Personalization
01:00:16 Rainy Day Wins
01:02:26 Hotline E Ink Phones
01:06:26 Why E Ink Fails
01:08:24 Friction And Focus Modes
01:12:11 Final Thanks And Plugs
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