Funny I’m seeing this after me googling what legitimate interest meant.

A user should be able to turn off legitimate interest cookies.

I also considered checking out Boost, but this is definitely a deal-breaker to me.

They need to be harsher on companies invoking legitimate interest. It should be impossible for a user to use a service/product if they deny the information that falls under a legitimate interest – because by definition, the service/product needs that information to work. Like if I’m scheduling a delivery to my place, my address is a legitimate interest because they can’t deliver it otherwise.

There just needs to be a crackdown on what’s being claimed. If a user can turn off “legitimate interest” cookies and tracking, and they can still use the website just fine, those cookies and tracking were not legitimate interests.

I don’t think it’s that cut and dry. A cookie that registers your address may have your address in your computer, and the access it just to autofill the shipping form. No address is being stored or tracked on their end. That would be a legitimate “legitimate interest” cookie. If you deny the use of such cookies, then the website will simply ask you to fill out your address every time. The site can still function in this case.

Don’t get me wrong - I hate legitimate interest cookie abuse, but I just wanted to clarify that point about “if rejected, then legitimate interest cookies would break the site, and if they don’t then they’re tracking you!”

tbf I think it’s in Google’s best interest to do as little legitimate interest fuckery as possible. If they stretch the use of that clause too far the EU will just banhammer the new practice again with stricter terms and higher fines.