We click ‘Accept’ thousands of times a day, yet almost no one truly understands what they are agreeing to. Consent isn’t dead rather it never really lived.”
A Realising Moment
A Fortune 500 client’s consent form had approximately 12,000 words. I asked the concerned professional, “Have you read this fully?”
And
“Will your users?” Though he looked unsure then after a longer pause said perhaps “No.”
My Another Question – “So why call it consent?”
It’s not consent. It’s legal cover.
Just Realise
Story of 8 Seconds to Click “Accept” – An average privacy policy needs 8-15 minutes to read. Users spend 8 seconds.
In that time, they are expected to understand complex terms and choose knowingly. Impossible.
Consent Fatigue Is Real
In 2024, I wrote about Consent Fatigue in my newsletter. Even, being a data privacy lawyer, I can hardly read when it comes to giving consent when it will come in hundreds due to the implementation of DPDPA from May, 2027, who will be reading it?
Perhaps like others, I will be also clicking it as “Accept” without thinking. If a privacy lawyer gives up, what hope do users have?
Ask yourself “How many consent forms have you actually read this month?”
Perhaps the answer will be zero. So who reads them?
Companies pretend users read. Users pretend to consent. Regulators pretend it works.
The Hard Truth
Hence, I say that Consent Forms are a checkbox theater. All feel complied with right from the Regulator, Company to Data Principal but, the backstage reality is always mysterious.
Three Realities
- Consent forms protect companies as legal cover.
- More consent ≠ better privacy; good privacy is built into systems.
- Compliance doesn’t equal trust, respecting data makes users trust, not documents alone.
What The Law Demands
Consent must be free, specific, informed, unconditional and unambiguous. The days of “scroll and click” consent are over.
The Simple Test
- Can your policy be understood in 60 seconds by anyone?
- Can users say “no” and still use the service?
- Can they withdraw consenteasily?
Better Consent Privacy by design means minimizing data collection, default controls, easy withdrawal. Consent forms should be rare.
What You Can Do
- Count your consent requests. More than 5? Too many.
- Simplify your policy until clear in 90 seconds.
- Make consent withdrawal easy.
Users, stop clicking “Accept All” blindly. Pick one app, read its policy, try to decline, and decide if you trust it.
Real Enforcement ComingPenalties will hit those with “technically compliant but practically meaningless” consent.
Final Word Consent was to empower users, but became a shield for companies. Time to change that by “Respecting Data”.
Because privacy is not what people click rather it is what systems protect. Be Responsible and Respect Data.
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