Cookie consent banners as we know them were constructed by the IAB as a framework made of dark patterns to annoy people into allowing adtech cookies. The idea was to be as annoying as they could get away with, so that end users would blame the GDPR. https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7epda/its-bad-design-on-pur...
I for one are hesitant to click on any new website because I expect yet another cookie consent banner.
So cookie consent increased the hurdles users face to explore the real web.
So the real winners are the dominant websites and apps.
Because DNT barely existed when ePrivacy was last amended, back in 2009.