[Xss3]

Some websites, mostly news outlets, can legally withhold access completely, and do, unless you accept all cookies or pay for membership.

If my 'data' is a no logs vpn address with a privacy hardened browser running in a VM on an isolated VLAN with encrypted DNS then why wouldn't I just laugh and click accept cookies in a sandboxed tab (so said cookies only exist for that tab and are cleared when it is closed.

What youre saying most users dont have this level of privacy by default? Why not?

[Xelbair]

>Some websites, mostly news outlets, can legally withhold access completely, and do, unless you accept all cookies or pay for membership.

GDPR article 7, section 4: When assessing whether consent is freely given, utmost account shall be taken of whether, inter alia, the performance of a contract, including the provision of a service, is conditional on consent to the processing of personal data that is not necessary for the performance of that contract.

basically: A data controller may not refuse service to users who decline consent to processing that is not strictly necessary in order to use the service

anyone who does that is in violation of GDPR

[Xss3]

Major news outlets doing it are willing to argue it is okay. They are a membership only news publication with a free viewing option in their books.

Iirc it boils down to the fact the user still has a choice.

Either way your interpretation of GDPR and several major news outlets clearly differ, and i would bet my house on them having access to better legal advice than you.

[Xelbair]

or simply betting on the fact that GDPR is selectively enforced(and i think that's the biggest problem with it)

[Xss3]

Nope, major sites are the furthest from immune.

[jamespo]

There could be a multitude of reasons, mobile browsing for example.