Digitalization & Data

Goodbye, Cookie Banners?

23/09/2026

WU researcher argues for privacy by architecture instead of cookie banners.

Cookie banners were designed to strengthen privacy, yet they often lead to “consent fatigue” rather than informed decision-making. With the European Union’s Digital Omnibus proposal, the future of cookie banners is once again under debate. Soheil Human, director of the WU Sustainable Computing Lab, argues that online privacy should be built into digital infrastructure rather than managed through endless pop-ups. The necessary technology, he argues, is already available today.

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