What is Consent Management?
Systems and processes for collecting, recording, and managing user consent for data collection and processing, required by GDPR and similar laws.
Consent management became critical after GDPR made freely-given, specific, informed consent a legal requirement.
Requirements Under GDPR
- Consent must be freely given (not forced)
- Must be specific to each purpose
- User must be informed of what they're consenting to
- Must be as easy to withdraw as to give
- Pre-ticked boxes are not valid consent
Consent Management Platforms (CMPs)
- OneTrust, Cookiebot, Osano, TrustArc
- These generate the cookie consent banners you see everywhere
The Problem
- Most consent banners are designed to manipulate users into accepting
- "Dark patterns": making "Accept All" prominent while hiding "Reject"
- Many implementations are technically non-compliant
- GDPR enforcement has been slow against abusive consent patterns
The Privacy Perspective
Consent management as currently implemented is largely theater. Real privacy comes from services that don't collect unnecessary data in the first place (privacy by design), not from consent banners that trick users into "agreeing" to surveillance.
Related Terms
Cookie
A small piece of data stored in your web browser by websites you visit. While cookies enable useful features like staying logged in, they're also used extensively for tracking your browsing activity across the web for advertising and analytics purposes.
ePrivacy Directive
An EU directive that regulates electronic communications privacy, including requirements for cookie consent and restrictions on unsolicited marketing.
GDPR
The General Data Protection Regulation is a comprehensive data protection law in the European Union that gives individuals control over their personal data. It establishes strict requirements for how organizations collect, process, store, and transfer personal information.
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