# Why is there suddenly an image of a cookie in the bottom left of my screen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Site Feedback\ **Created:** [July 17, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750 "2026-07-17T18:03:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/1 "2026-07-17T18:03:45Z")
And why won’t it go away? When I click on it, I get a whole bunch of cookie policy options, and when I agree and click “Save”, the stubborn partially eaten cookie image is still there. What purpose does it now serve except to be an annoying distraction (it partially obscures the “Reply” button)? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/2 "2026-07-17T18:05:17Z")
Is that just on the SDMB or is it Google Chrome? I selected it, chose all the “hell, NO” options, and then used my page editor to delete it it was so damn annoying covering the Reply button! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/3 "2026-07-17T18:07:24Z")
I think it is Discourse and not Chrome. I’m not getting it on other sites. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/4 "2026-07-17T18:11:33Z")
It appears to be a button for adjusting cookie settings on the SDMB. Undoubtedly a Discourse thing. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/5 "2026-07-17T18:12:07Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I think it is Discourse and not Chrome. Correct, it’s only on the SDMB/Discourse, and I’m not using Chrome. I was able to make it disappear by using the Adblock “Block Element” feature. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/6 "2026-07-17T18:13:23Z")
I saw it on my phone at lunch just a few minutes ago, and when I returned and refreshed my work computer there it was. If anyone figures out how to make it go away, please share that. (My SDMB window is scrunched down smaller at work, and the cookie icon covers a bunch of text.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/7 "2026-07-17T18:15:35Z")
Same here. I even tried changing a couple of items and saving, and the mint chip vanilla cookie is still there. Clippy! What have they done to you? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/8 "2026-07-17T18:18:45Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > If anyone figures out how to make it go away, please share that. As I said earlier: > [@wolfpup](#): > > I was able to make it disappear by using the Adblock “Block Element” feature. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/9 "2026-07-17T18:38:36Z")
The cookie consent stuff is required by the GDPR (EU data protection laws) that specify that cookie consent options be available at all times. Discourse has been supporting it since at least 2023, the date of the documentation linked below. Usually an admin would configure it to comply with the applicable laws in the local region, so I don’t know why U.S. users are suddenly seeing it. I didn’t read the documentation in detail, but it seems like a configuration by site, not for Discourse as a whole. I don’t see anything on the general Discourse board about this change, so I wonder if someone updated something specifically for us (either intentionally or inadvertently? @engineer_comp_geek?). > **[Cookie Consent, GDPR, and Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/t/cookie-consent-gdpr-and-discourse/260459)** > > 📚 This is an explanation guide for describing how the technical aspects of GDPR and Cookie Consent operate within Discourse, along with options for Cookie Consent management and Content Manager Services. ⚠ This document is not a comprehensive... ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/10 "2026-07-17T18:56:25Z")
I’m honestly not sure what I did, but it’s gone now. Maybe I didn’t do anything and it coincidentally went away? I looked up how to “block an element” on a page using Adblock-plus and Google AI said to right-click on the element and choose “block element.” Not an option - at least not in Win10 - but there were some other options I investigated and when I got done, the cookie had vanished. I don’t miss it. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/11 "2026-07-17T18:57:46Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Same here. I even tried changing a couple of items and saving, and the mint chip vanilla cookie is still there. Mint vanilla? Mine is Pistachio! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/12 "2026-07-17T19:02:16Z")
I’m not seeing it on my system. Is the cookie still there? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/13 "2026-07-17T19:03:00Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Is the cookie still there? Nope, it disappeared in the last 20 minutes or so. I’m leaning toward someone making a change by accident and fixing it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/14 "2026-07-17T19:03:39Z")
Are we sure that M.I.T.'s legendary [Cookie Monster](https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1839579_1839578_1839526,00.html) hasn’t zombified and returned to plague computer users? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/15 "2026-07-17T19:04:13Z")
For me is still there, even after turning off the targeted advertising and other cookies. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/16 "2026-07-17T19:06:02Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Nope, it disappeared in the last 20 minutes or so. I’m leaning toward someone making a change by accident and fixing it. Seems to be the case. I’ve disabled the “Block Element” filter in Adblock and the obnoxious half-eaten cookie is now gone for good! In any case it seems to have been poorly implemented. Once you indicate your cookie preferences (which the EU mandate requires) and those preferences are saved, there should be no further nags. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/17 "2026-07-17T19:09:44Z")
It disappeared for me, but just clicking around to different threads didn’t kill it, I had to reload the page I was looking at. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/18 "2026-07-17T19:19:30Z")
It’s gone for me. Chicago suburbs, USA if that matters. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/19 "2026-07-17T19:30:53Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Once you indicate your cookie preferences (which the EU mandate requires) and those preferences are saved, there should be no further nags. Not exactly. The GDPR requires easy access to cookie settings at all times, not only initially, so you can update them if you change your mind. But I do agree with you that a constant overlay image is a poor implementation of that requirement. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750/20 "2026-07-17T21:10:54Z")
## The cookie disappeared earlier and I noticed a new Admin had logged in. Probably related. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-suddenly-an-image-of-a-cookie-in-the-bottom-left-of-my-screen/1031750.md?page=2)