You know that feeling when you just want to read a recipe or check a score, but a giant gray box jumps in your face? It asks if you want "Functional Cookies" or "Legitimate Interest" tracking. Honestly, it’s exhausting. We all just click "Accept All" because we're in a hurry, which basically defeats the whole point of those privacy laws in the first place. This is exactly where I Don't Care About Cookies stepped in to save our collective sanity.
It started as a simple browser extension. Now, it's a staple for anyone who values their time more than clicking through endless consent forms.
Why We Are Drowning in Banners
The European Union passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive. Good intentions, right? The goal was to give us control over our data. But the execution turned the web into a minefield of pop-ups. Developers had to implement these "Consent Management Platforms" (CMPs), and let’s be real—they made them as annoying as possible. Sometimes it's called "dark patterns," where they make it easy to say yes and nearly impossible to say no.
Daniel Kladnik, the creator of I Don't Care About Cookies, saw this coming miles away. He realized that for most of us, the "choice" was an illusion. We just wanted the banner gone.
How I Don't Care About Cookies Actually Works
It isn't magic. It's just very clever filtering.
Think of it like an ad-blocker, but specifically tuned for those pesky overlay windows. The extension uses a massive list of rules—sort of like a hit list for CSS selectors and JavaScript triggers. When you load a page, the extension scans the code for known cookie warning signatures. If it finds one, it either hides the element or, if the website requires a "yes" to function, it automatically clicks the "accept" button for you.
Wait, it clicks accept?
Yeah. That’s the catch. If you use I Don't Care About Cookies, you are often implicitly agreeing to be tracked. It’s a trade-off. You trade a tiny bit of privacy for a massive boost in browsing speed and less mental fatigue. For some people, that’s a deal-breaker. For most of us? It’s a godsend.
The Avast Acquisition Drama
In 2022, things got a bit weird. Avast, the cybersecurity giant, acquired the extension. If you've been around the tech block, you know Avast doesn't have the cleanest record when it comes to user data. People panicked. They thought their favorite "set it and forget it" tool was turning into spyware.
Kladnik stayed on to maintain the project, and so far, the core functionality hasn't turned into a nightmare. However, the acquisition led to a huge surge in popularity for "forks" or alternatives. Open-source fans moved over to things like "I Still Don't Care About Cookies," which is a community-driven version that promises to stay independent.
Why Most People Get It Wrong
People often think these extensions are "privacy tools." They aren't. Not really.
If you want privacy, you use uBlock Origin with specialized "Annoyances" filters turned on. In fact, if you already use uBlock Origin, you might not even need a separate extension. You can go into the settings, click "Filter lists," and check the box for "EasyList Cookie." It does almost the exact same thing without adding another extension to your browser's memory footprint.
Using too many extensions is a bad idea anyway. It slows down your browser and creates more "fingerprinting" vectors. Websites can see which extensions you have active, which actually makes it easier to track you uniquely across the web. Irony is a cruel mistress.
The Technical Reality of 2026
The web is changing. Chrome is (finally, maybe, eventually) killing off third-party cookies. Does that mean I Don't Care About Cookies is dead? Nope.
Even without third-party cookies, sites still use first-party cookies for analytics and "personalization." Laws still require consent for that. The banners aren't going anywhere. They might just change their wording. Instead of "cookies," they'll talk about "Privacy Sandbox" or "Topics API."
I've noticed that newer websites are getting sneakier. They wrap the cookie banner in the same code that runs the actual site menu. If the extension blocks the banner, it breaks the menu. It's an arms race. The extension developers have to constantly update their lists to play whack-a-mole with these new designs.
Is It Safe?
Generally, yes. But "safe" is a relative term in tech.
- Memory Usage: It’s lightweight. You won't notice it.
- Permissions: It needs to "read and change all your data on the websites you visit." That sounds scary because it is. Any extension that modifies a webpage needs this permission. It could, theoretically, read your passwords.
- Reliability: Sometimes it breaks a site. You'll click a link and nothing happens because a hidden cookie banner is technically "on top" of the page, even though you can't see it.
If you find a site is broken, just disable the extension for that specific domain. Most of them have a simple toggle in the toolbar.
What You Should Do Right Now
If you are sick of the clicking, you have two real paths.
First, if you're a power user, stick with uBlock Origin. Go to the dashboard, find the "Annoyances" section in filter lists, and enable the cookie lists. This keeps your extension count low and your privacy relatively high. It’s the "clean" way to do it.
Second, if you just want it to work without digging into menus, install I Don't Care About Cookies or its community fork I Still Don't Care About Cookies. It’s the path of least resistance. Just keep in mind that by "not caring," you are usually opting into tracking by default.
For those who truly care about privacy but hate the banners, consider using a browser like Brave or LibreWolf. They often have these features baked into the core engine, which is much more efficient than slapping a script on top of a webpage.
Practical Steps to Fix Your Browsing
- Audit your extensions. If you have three different things trying to block cookies, they will clash. Pick one.
- Check your uBlock settings. Most people don't realize they already have the power to kill cookie banners hidden in the settings of their ad-blocker.
- Use a "Manager" instead of a "Blocker" if you're paranoid. Tools like Consent-O-Matic actually try to fill out the forms with your opt-out preferences instead of just clicking "Accept All." It's slower, but it's the most "legal" and private way to handle the mess.
The internet shouldn't feel like a chore. Whether you use the original extension or a fancy filter list, the goal is the same: getting back to the content without the digital red tape. Just remember that every "convenience" tool has a cost, usually paid in data or browser resources. Choose the one that fits your comfort level and get back to browsing.
Next Steps for a Cleaner Web Experience:
- Switch to a community-maintained fork: If you're wary of the Avast acquisition, look for "I Still Don't Care About Cookies" on the Firefox or Chrome web stores.
- Enable Annoyance Filters: In your existing ad-blocker, toggle the "EasyList Cookie" and "Fanboy’s Annoyance" lists to see if you can eliminate the need for an extra extension entirely.
- Test with Consent-O-Matic: If you want to actually "Reject All" automatically instead of "Accepting All," this browser extension is the gold standard for automated privacy rights.