The End of Cookie Pop-Ups? Big Changes Are Coming for EU Websites

Almost every website you visit these days throws a cookie pop‑up in your face before you can even start browsing. They’re everywhere – and most of us just click “Accept” to get on with it.

But that might be about to change.

What’s Changing?

The ePrivacy Regulation is moving towards a model where users set their cookie preferences directly in their browser – and those preferences then apply across all websites.

The aim is to remove the repetitive consent banners, give users greater control over tracking and cookies, and stop websites from using confusing or manipulative cookie banners.

Under this shift, websites will need to recognise a user’s browser‑set cookie preferences (for example “no tracking”) and honour them automatically without showing a full banner every time.

Some cookies deemed “harmless” – such as those used solely for basic analytics or functionality – may also become exempt from requiring explicit pop‑up consent.

Why This Matters for Website Owners

If your site serves visitors in the EU, or if you simply want a cleaner experience and better compliance, this affects you.

You’ll want to look at how your cookie banner is implemented, whether you give users a simple and equal “Accept / Reject” choice, and how prominent the “Reject” option is compared to “Accept”.

You will also need to ensure your website supports the browser‑based preferences. That means your consent management setup (CMS plugins, scripts, tag management) must be able to detect and respect the user’s browser choice.

And your privacy/cookie policy should clearly explain what cookies you use, why they are used, how users can change their preferences — both via your site and via their browser.

Impact on Analytics, Marketing & Automation

When more users block tracking cookies through browser settings or refuse consent, the downstream effects are real.

For website analytics, fewer tracking cookies means the number of counted visits may drop, returning‑user statistics may become less reliable, and user‑journey data could become fragmented.

Digital marketing campaigns that rely on retargeting or behavioural tracking will find it harder to attribute conversions correctly and optimise ad spend.

On social media, if tracking pixels (e.g., for platforms like Facebook or TikTok) are blocked, look‑alike audience creation and conversion‑driven ads may become less effective and reporting less accurate.

In email marketing and automation, tracking pixels and cookie‑based triggers (for example “abandoned cart” campaigns) may not fire reliably if cookies are blocked — meaning you’ll need to rely more on declared data (e.g., a user‑clicked link) rather than passive behaviour.

Does This Apply in the UK?

Yes — UK sites also need to consider these changes.

The UK’s law covering cookies is the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) (alongside the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR).

The UK is also moving towards reforms under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, which will reduce the need for pop‑ups in some low‑risk scenarios and increase penalties for non‑compliance.

So while the “browser‑level preference” model is an EU change, UK website owners should still prepare — the trend is clear, and staying compliant is essential.

How We Can Help

At O’Brien Media, we build websites that are secure, user‑friendly and built with future‑regulation in mind.

We can provide:

• A full audit of your current cookie consent setup
• Advice on how to update your analytics tools
• Support updating your privacy policy and consent mechanisms
• Help adapting marketing and automation workflows to function with reduced cookie tracking

Whether you run a WordPress, Shopify, BigCommerce or fully custom build, we’re here to help ensure you’ll be ready.

What’s Next

These changes are good news in many ways — fewer annoying banners, clearer user choices and greater trust.

Visitors will have a smoother experience, website owners will have less friction and a more reliable compliance basis. But it’s not optional: preparing early gives you the best position.

We’ll be contacting our customers individually over the coming weeks to review your website, identify any changes we believe would benefit you, and propose a tailored plan for your website’s consent‑management, analytics and marketing setup.

If you’d like to speak sooner, feel free to get in touch at [email protected] or call 01793 239239.