John Malone: Liberty Media, Streaming, and What Big Tech Regulators Should Actually Do

The Cookiepocalypse is Upon Us, and Nobody Seems to Care

Alright, let's get this straight. Another cookie notice? Seriously? I just saw one of these pop up like, five minutes ago, and now I'm supposed to wade through another wall of legal jargon about "tracking technologies" and "privacy policies"? Give me a freakin' break.

We're All Just Data Points, Ain't We?

The thing that really grinds my gears is the sheer audacity of these companies. They hit you with this "Cookie Notice" – all innocent-like – explaining how they're just trying to "improve your experience" and "deliver personalized content." Right. What they're really saying is, "We're gonna Hoover up every single detail about your pathetic little online life so we can sell it to the highest bidder."

And the worst part? They act like they're doing us a favor by giving us the "choice" to opt-out. Like we have any real power in this equation. We're all just data points in their algorithms, and they know it.

They tell you about "Strictly Necessary Cookies" – those are the ones you can't block without breaking half the internet. Then they tell you about "Personalization Cookies" which are totally optional, except if you turn them off, your experience is gonna suck. It's like they're saying "We'll make you a deal you can't refuse."

The Illusion of Control

This whole "cookie management" song and dance is just a smokescreen. They give you these little toggles and buttons, make you feel like you're in control, but let's be real: who actually reads all that fine print? Who understands what "ETags/cache browsers" even are?

And even if you do manage to navigate the labyrinthine settings and opt-out of everything, what difference does it really make? They're still tracking you. They're just calling it something else.

I mean, they even admit it! "Information may still be collected and used for other purposes, such as research, online services analytics or internal operations, and to remember your opt-out preferences." So, you're opting out of some tracking, but they're still keeping tabs on you to "remember" that you opted out. It's circular logic at its finest.

Maybe I am being too cynical here. Maybe these companies really do have our best interests at heart. Maybe they're just trying to make the internet a better place, one cookie at a time. Nah, who am I kidding?

The Future is...More of the Same?

So, what's the solution? Should we all just throw our computers out the window and move to a remote cabin in the woods? Probably not realistic.

The article mentions "global regulators" being needed. Oh great, more bureaucracy. As if government oversight is gonna solve anything. It'll just create another layer of red tape and give the big tech companies another opportunity to lobby their way out of accountability. Some experts believe that we need Liberty Media Chairman John Malone: We need smart, global regulators to monitor big tech to solve the problem.

We're stuck in this endless cycle of data collection, privacy breaches, and empty promises of reform. And honestly... I'm not sure there's a way out.

We're Cooked.