There's still this widespread misconception that the EU mandates cookie banners on all websites, and that is just plainly untrue.

Most websites do need a few cookies to function properly. And those are perfectly fine according to EU legislation. It is only the malicious cookies for tracking purposes that require consent.

All those cookie banners you see on the web are examples of malicious compliance with EU law. The operators of these websites want to track everything you do because they want to earn money off of that. That's why they implemented technically unnecessary cookies, and that's why they have to ask your consent when you visit their website.

The important takeaway is: the EU regulation isn't the problem. The profit motive is. And the shitty things it makes profit-oriented companies do.