Cookie banners — those pop-ups that appear on practically every webpage demanding you accept their tracking systems — are one of the most consistent low-grade annoyances of life online. But Kate Klonick, a professor and writer, argues they're actually much worse than that, and the only plausible solution is to get rid of them entirely. After that, The Verge's Allison Johnson tells us about her AI-enhanced Google Maps experience, and why the new Ask Maps feature has the potential to be both incredibly cool and incredibly creepy. Then, she helps David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email vergecast@theverge.com!) about whether E Ink phones might solve all our problems. We were nominated for a Webby! You can vote here: https://bit.ly/4ckXKPc 00:00 Intro 01:39 Today’s Agenda Preview 02:35 Cookie Banners Problem 04:24 Why Kate Cares 06:04 How Banners Began 11:34 Manufactured Consent Harm 16:05 Better Than Banners 28:30 Will EU Fix It 35:18 Ask Maps Arrives 37:20 Recreational Maps Use 41:38 Let Gemini Plan Day 46:44 Did It Save Time 50:04 Letting Google Decide 53:13 Privacy and Creep Factor 01:02:26 Rainy Day Wins 01:05:42 Hotline E Ink Phone Idea 01:07:22 Why E Ink Phones Fail 01:11:40 Friction Switches and Brick 01:14:38 Weird Phones and Wrap Up Subscribe: http://goo.gl/G5RXGs Like The Verge on Facebook: https://goo.gl/2P1aGc Follow on Twitter: https://goo.gl/XTWX61 Follow on Instagram: https://goo.gl/7ZeLv Watch The Vergecast on YouTube: https://bit.ly/40RFRkg The Vergecast Podcast: https://bit.ly/3WQDexZ Decoder with Nilay Patel: http://apple.co/3v29nDc More about our podcasts: https://www.theverge.com/podcasts Read More: http://www.theverge.com Community guidelines: http://bit.ly/2D0hlAv Wallpapers from The Verge: https://bit.ly/2xQXYJr Shop our Verge merch store here: https://bit.ly/4kPCmEc Subscribe to The Verge: https://bit.ly/3FT6n5S Subscribe to The Vergecast on YouTube, new episodes on Tuesday and Friday: https://bit.ly/3I6nJtz If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may receive a commission without exerting any influence on editorial content. For more information about our ethics policy, visit: https://bit.ly/3ZWTlLs