Cookie Consent is Broken: Time for a New Privacy Protection Model

The internet relies on cookies and personalized advertising to provide services at zero nominal prices. Current privacy regulations in the EU and U.S. use a notice-and-consent model, assuming users understand cookies and are motivated to engage with privacy choices. However, empirical evidence shows these assumptions are flawed. This brief note summarizes relevant empirical studies that document people’s poor understanding of cookies, their lack of motivation to engage with cookie banners, as