[microtonal]

There are supposed to be all sorts of other GDPR protections, about rights to be forgotten, about being able to access and selectively remove personal data from an online profile, that I have no idea how to activate. Instead all I get, as a user, is a bunch of consent forms, like the stupid cookie warnings, that I have no idea how to respond to, and no idea what I'm committing to when I click them.

This again, is the fault of most websites. GDPR requires opt-in for tracking, etc. A website could just, by default, not do tracking. Then provide the tracking options in the preferences. However, most sites have gotten so data hungry that they can't accept GDPR's privacy-by-default and have to bother you with pop-ups to try to get your consent to track you. Add some dark patterns, like designing these pop-up forms such that they are effectively opt-out.

I can't wait until some organization sues some big fish to send a signal that blanket data collection or using dark patterns to trick people into data collection is not an acceptable modus operandi.

Also, we as consumers of the web can also help to improve things. Contact companies and ask them to switch to opt-in (as required by the GDPR), encourage them to not collect data by default (avoiding popups), exercise your right to remove data and/or see what data is collected. If enough people request this by e-mail, companies will have to set up automated procedures (provide a webpage to see or remove data).