Show HN: ConsentScope – detect cookies loaded before user consent

So I recently ran a small experiment.

I tested 20 websites (SaaS, e-commerce, agencies, blogs) to check something simple:

Do they actually wait for user consent before loading analytics?

14 out of 20 loaded Google Analytics or other tracking scripts before the user clicked “Accept”.

In most cases:the cookie banner was visible, no interaction had happened yet but GA/GTM requests were already firing. You don’t really notice this unless you’re watching the Network tab closely.

So I built a small tool to monitor:

cookies being set

localStorage/sessionStorage usage

tracking-related network requests

the exact timestamp of the consent click

Originally it was just a script for internal audits. It grew into a Chrome extension called ConsentScope.

What it does:

-compares before vs after consent

-classifies cookies (necessary / analytics / marketing)

-shows a simple timeline of events

-optionally exports a report

It doesn’t auto-click banners. It doesn’t interpret the law. It just shows what technically happens.

I’m curious if others have checked this on their own sites. Feel free to ask anything technical — happy to share details.