> This should have been a brower-based implementation globally that every site must adhere to.

This. if EU actually cared enough, they 'd go to the browser vendors to enforce some basic prompts on tracking and forms, and it would be better than gdpr because it would work for everyone from day 1. This law will bring a few more prompts and not much else (because most services can be provided with slight changes like hashed ips).

Cookie prompts on every site you visit on your slow-ass phone connection are really really annoying and should go away. But americans don't protest about them because they don't see them and europeans are , well, sheepish.