OT: Why can't non-EU websites ignore EU cookie laws/GDPR?

[Commander Kinsey]

If an American company with an American server doesn't obey EU cookie/GDPR/privacy laws, what's the EU gonna do? They can't get someone into trouble for breaking a law which only exists in another country surely? All they could do is block the website in the EU. If all companies refused to obey the legislation, the EU would have to block thousands of sites, then their population would see sense and get the law overturned. Or.... all sites outside the EU could simply check the IP address, and if the user is in the EU, display an alternate page complaining about the stupid law and saying we refuse to deal with Europeans. For goodness sake, fight back against stupidity!

[John Larkin]

I was working with a group in Oxford and I asked them if our tomographic atom probe machine would have to be tested for CE compliance. They all laughed out loud.

"You don't understand. CE means Can't Enforce."

They buy CE stickers in bulk.

Is there a Firefox addon that automatically answers the stupid cookie consent question?

Oxford is a wonderful, magical place.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Problem is it is different every time

[Brian Gaff]

Probably block access to it. Besides its all smoke and mirrors. It does not seem to me that cookies are now the only way to track you. Many email newsletters seem to have embedded links that click through third party data gathering sites on the way to the actual page, and its happening on all sites. If you moan they say that its legitimate market research, but then they would of course. So if the data is gathered before you get to the cookie warning, its OK presumably. Brian

[John Larkin]

Use AI!

[John Larkin]

Can't you set up a browser that blocks cookies?

[John Larkin]

Actually, Firefox has several. Here's one:

[The Natural Philosopher]

Trouble is its a very blunt instrument and destroys ability to log into sites and to do online shopping

[SteveW]

It would have been much better if the EU had mandated a single click to reject all cookie requests (and to reject alternative methods of tracking) or better still to have mandated honouring the browser's Do Not Track requests.

[Chris Green]

... and then how does half thw web actually work? Cookies are necessary (or at least make things *much* more usable) on all sorts of web sites.

[Max Demian]

The only ones that are useful to the user are ones that remember login details so you only have to enter the password, or nothing at all on a non-critical site such as Flickr or YouTube.

[Chris Green]

All (well, as far as I know, all) shopping sites use cookies to store your shopping basket. It's not just long term cookies that are useful.

[SteveW]

Sites already let you select to only accept strictly necessary cookies, but that often means clicking down a list of dozens of others to turn them off individually. If the one click feature or the honour Do Not Track feature were mandated, multiple clicks would not be necessary.

[SteveW]

And rejecting cookies (using the website's rejection method, not your browser's) normally leaves the necessary cookies enabled and refuses the rest. That is the bit I hate, as rejection often means un-clicking dozens of items in a list.

[Commander Kinsey]

The stupid EU probably think cookies is it.

I only do marketing surveys for one company, because they give me Argos vouchers. When one called and didn't want to give me anything, I got very angry. Especially as the survey was on behalf of the tax office. I told them I wouldn't help the tax office for a million pounds.

[Commander Kinsey]

I don't want to block cookies, I want to block the stupid notice which is more annoying than the cookies it attempts to warn you about. Everyone just says ok to continue.

I do have a browser extension called "I don't care about cookies" (I thought it was "cookie muncher", maybe that one wasn't any good). It autoanswers the stupid EU messages, trouble is I still see them flash up.

[Commander Kinsey]

Most of the Chinese electronics I buy has all sorts of safety markings etched on the side. Meaningless.

I've got one in Opera called "I don't care about cookies". I guess it's available for Firefox (quite why you'd want to use that piece of shit browser I don't know).

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

I use the Firefox version.

[Commander Kinsey]

Anyone know one which doesn't display the notice at all? "I don't care about cookies" lets it show then clicks it itself. Irritating. It also doesn't work on all of them, either they still display, or it does something which annoys the page so it's all greyed out and I can't use it.

Since the legislation only requires the notice be there and doesn't say how it's to be displayed, what on earth possessed anyone to make it put a big sign in front of the page? A little unobtrusive banner you can ignore is better.