Investigating Cookie Banners and Mitigating Complacent Clicking With Informed-Choice Architecture

Cookies, or small packets of data sent between programs, have become synonymous with the opaque practices for collecting, storing, and commodifying user-generated data. Convoluted language and misleading design practices impede user understanding and agency over the security of their data, including its collection, use, and storage. This article provides a brief history of cookies, presents concerns related to how websites inform users of the presence of cookies and their choices in how they are used, and introduces heuristics that align with technical and professional communication best practices for crafting user-centered cookie banners.