Embattled users worn down by privacy options? Let them eat code

This opinion article argues that GDPR/ePrivacy cookie consent mechanisms are failing users due to fatigue and manipulative design, enabling data-hungry businesses to skirt protections. It highlights regulators’ consideration of pay-or-consent models and proposes a browser-level standard API to automate and standardize consent, removing intrusive prompts. The author suggests this would improve compliance auditing and shift control from human habit to machine-enforced preferences.