Denham, who leads UK data regulator the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), will discuss the issue with her counterparts in the G7 nations in a series of virtual meetings today and tomorrow, urging them to use the group's power to improve the current cookie consent mechanism.

While most people don’t want cookies to spy on their browsing, privacy law has created a weird system where a content provider makes a user look at a long form before allowing them to look at the sight. The result is that people hand over their data just to get rid of the annoying pop-up which is hardly informed consent.

Denham will present an idea on how web browsing can be made smoother for users, while also protecting their personal data.

Representatives of other countries will raise other technology issues they believe require international cooperation.

"I often hear people say they are tired of having to engage with so many cookie pop-ups. That fatigue is leading to people giving more personal data than they would like", Denham said.

She noted that the cookie mechanism is costly for organisations running websites and often leads to a poor user experience.

"There are nearly two billion websites out there taking account of the world's privacy preferences. No single country can tackle this issue alone. That is why I am calling on my G7 colleagues to use our convening power", Denham said.

At the G7 virtual meeting, Denham will propose a new system 'where web browsers, software applications and device settings allow people to set lasting privacy preferences of their choosing, rather than having to do that through pop-ups every time they visit a website'.