What Happens to Your Data When You Click Reject All Cookies

Clicking "Reject all" should stop a site from using cookies and trackers for advertising and analytics. It doesn't make you invisible: the site still runs, still logs visits, and still sets the cookies it needs to work. Here's what changes and what doesn't.

What should stop

• Advertising cookies and tracking pixels from ad networks.
• Analytics cookies that recognize you across visits, unless the site uses a consent-free setup.
• Sharing your data with the long list of "partners" or "vendors" in the banner.

What still happens

• Necessary cookies are still set: sign-in, shopping cart, security, load balancing, and a cookie that remembers your choice so the banner doesn't come back on every page.
• Server logs still record visits, with details like your IP address and browser, as every web server does.
• Cookieless measurement. Some sites send anonymous, cookie-free signals after you reject. Google's Consent Mode, for example, can send pings without cookies that Google uses to estimate traffic.
• "Legitimate interest." Some banners keep separate legitimate-interest switches on for some partners even after you reject consent. Check the vendor or partner list if you want to object to those too.

Does every site respect it?

Not always. Researchers have repeatedly found sites that set tracking cookies or load trackers after a visitor rejects them, whether by mistake or on purpose. You can check:

1. Reject cookies on a site, then press F12 and open Application → Cookies.
2. Look for cookies from ad or analytics companies. Names starting with _ga (Google Analytics), _fbp (Meta) and the like are common ones.
3. If they're there after you rejected, the site isn't honoring your choice. In the EU and UK, you can report it to your data protection regulator.

For more detail on reading the cookie list, see how to check what cookies a site sets.

How long your choice lasts

Your choice is stored in a cookie, so clearing cookies brings the banner back. Many sites also ask again after some months. Regulators expect sites not to pester people who said no too often.

Making rejecting easier

• Cookie Auto-Reject clicks "reject" on cookie banners automatically, so you don't have to hunt for the button on each site.
• Blocking third-party cookies in Chrome's settings stops most cross-site tracking cookies, whatever you click.
• A content blocker stops many trackers from loading before a banner even appears.