No, these cookie laws are in fact really well implemented, they are just oversimplified in the press (such a coincidence). Cookies are not forbidden neither they require you to ask anything, as long as they are useful to the service you provide.
That's why a lot of websites don't show those banners while however using cookies to store session tokens, user preferences...
But, yes, when you are browsing content without being logged in or without having the need to store something, the law forbids the website to send you cookies. Because they are not needed to execute the service, they are just there to track you. And even if you consider that tracking is necessary to monetize your content, well, in this case, you have to require the consent.
To me it's a totally legitimate law. It's easy not to deal with cookie popup : just respect your users and don't track them without notification.
As a user, you can rant about the law. Or you can just decide that a website enforcing you to accept cookies to read some junk content is totally missing to respect you as an individual.
You can argue the law is just and right till the cows come home but the reality is it has made browsing the web much worse for everyone in the EU for unclear benefit.
It's a matter of taste. For me the web is much better like this. Your website is trying to track me to sell me a car or a vacuum cleaner and you dont want me to refuse consent ? No problem, i'll leave. At least I'm informed.
That's why a lot of websites don't show those banners while however using cookies to store session tokens, user preferences...
But, yes, when you are browsing content without being logged in or without having the need to store something, the law forbids the website to send you cookies. Because they are not needed to execute the service, they are just there to track you. And even if you consider that tracking is necessary to monetize your content, well, in this case, you have to require the consent.
To me it's a totally legitimate law. It's easy not to deal with cookie popup : just respect your users and don't track them without notification.
As a user, you can rant about the law. Or you can just decide that a website enforcing you to accept cookies to read some junk content is totally missing to respect you as an individual.