People will no longer be bombarded by constant requests to accept or reject “cookies” when browsing the internet, under proposed changes to the European Union’s strict data privacy laws. The pop-up prompts asking internet users to consent to cookies when they visit a website are widely seen as a nuisance, undermining the original privacy intentions of the digital rules. Updated regulations would allow people to consent or reject internet cookies for a six-month period, before they are asked again. The EU regulations requiring websites to get consent to track information about people’s past browsing behaviour date back to 2009. European commissioner for justice Michael McGrath said the broader changes to the union’s data laws was not a “reopening” of the GDPR.

Source: The Irish Times November 19, 2025 14:32 UTC