A Tough Cookie: Will SMEs Crumble under the Gatekeepers?

A fundamental shift is underway in the digital economy - and most businesses are not prepared. Browser-level consent could redefine who controls access to user data: not companies, not even users directly, but a small number of dominant browser and platform providers. This is not just a technical adjustment. It is a structural power shift. Politically, the direction seems straightforward: The EU aims to reduce “cookie fatigue” - endless banners, constant clicks, a poor user experience. It is a simple, intuitive message. Easy to communicate. Easy to support. But beneath that simplicity lies a far more complex reality.
Shifting consent to the browser level may unintentionally concentrate control over data and user interaction in the hands of a few large players, while reducing the ability of SMEs, self-employed professionals, and independent digital businesses to operate on equal terms.
For many, the potential consequences are significant, and could have a dramatic impact on how businesses operate, compete, and grow:

• * Loss of direct access to customer data
• * Reduced ability to compete in digital advertising markets
• * Increased dependence on large platforms
• * Structural disadvantages in visibility, pricing, and growth

What is framed as a user-friendly improvement could evolve into a structural disadvantage for smaller market participants. At the same time, the political and regulatory debate is still evolving - with key decisions being shaped now, often without full awareness of their real economic impact. This workshop goes beyond surface-level explanations. It provides a strategic understanding of:

• * how browser consent is reshaping data control and market power
• * where the real conflicts between privacy, competition, and innovation lie
• * what concrete risks and disruptions businesses should expect
• * and why the current policy trajectory could lock in long-term market imbalances

Most importantly, it addresses a critical question:
Will SMEs, startups and self-employed actors remain competitive in the next phase of the internet - or are we moving toward a system where control is increasingly centralized?
This session is designed for those who want to understand what is at stake, assess their exposure, and decide whether - and how - to engage before key decisions are effectively out of their hands.
Organised in partnership with Danish Entrepreneurs.