A new EU initiative aims to cut administrative burdens for businesses in the region. The European Commission wants to simplify “outdated” rules around cookies to ease the regulatory burden imposed on businesses and reduce consent fatigue for users. The initiative wants to tackle the increasing complexity and fragmentation around cookie consent forms – the data collection pop-ups users see when they enter websites. The plan to update cookie controls is part of a wider range of regulations the EU seeks to simplify through its upcoming ‘Digital Omnibus’, which also includes legislation around cybersecurity and AI. According to the Commission, the initiative will “pursue a stronger alignment with the general rules on the protection of personal data under the EU data protection law” and potentially include “modernised” rules on cookies under that framework.