The case for banning cookie banners

Cookie banners — those pop-ups that appear on practically every webpage demanding you accept their tracking systems — are one of the most consistent low-grade annoyances of life online. But Kate Klonick, a professor and writer, argues they're actually much worse than that, and the only plausible solution is to get rid of them entirely. After that, The Verge's Allison Johnson tells us about her AI-enhanced Google Maps experience, and why the new Ask Maps feature has the potential to be both incredibly cool and incredibly creepy. Then, she helps David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email ⁠[email protected]⁠!) about whether E Ink phones might solve all our problems. Vote for The Vergecast in the Webby Awards! A vote for The Vergecast is a vote that Brendan Carr is a dummy, that buttons are good, and that party speakers rule the world. Voting is open until April 16. ⁠https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2026/podcasts/shows/technology⁠ Further reading: ⁠Ban Cookie Banners: A Case Study in Tech Regulation by Kate Klonick⁠ ⁠Kate’s website⁠ ⁠Google Maps is getting AI-powered ‘Ask Maps’ feature and more immersive navigation ⁠ ⁠I let Gemini in Google Maps plan my day and it went surprisingly well ⁠ ⁠TCL’s new Nxtpaper phones have a dedicated button for maximum monochrome ⁠ ⁠Boox Palma 2 Pro review: one step forward, one step back ⁠ Subscribe to The Verge for unlimited access to theverge.com, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ad-free podcast feed.We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or call us at 866-VERGE11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices