The current state of affairs in the world of data privacy, and the way it affects the internet as a whole, is miserable.

On the one hand, you have eurobureaucrats who do not really understand technology, yet hold enormous power over how it is shaped. This does not just slow down innovation in the EU. It also makes the everyday internet experience worse. One of the primary examples is the decades-old ePrivacy Directive. It is funny how everyone blames GDPR for the cookie banners that “ruined the internet,” even though GDPR has nothing to do with them. The real culprit is the ePrivacy Directive itself, which was passed 23 years ago and last amended 16 years ago. In tech terms, that is several lifetimes ago. And the number of directives and regulations is only growing.

On the other hand, there are US tech moguls who are undeniably innovative, but driven by capitalism above all else. Their products move fast and scale fast, but they are also built on collecting as much data as possible with no regard for user privacy. Where European regulation is slow and clumsy, American tech is aggressive and unapologetic. But in return, they give you a remarkably convenient digital life. Ad-ridden, but convenient.

With all the privacy fatigue we’re all experiencing, I am no longer sure which option is more palatable. Only one of them is actually moving us forward, rather than being stuck in the past under a pile of dusty compliance papers.

But I really hope a third path will emerge, because right now neither of these options feels like something I want to fully accept.