Well, it is better, since I assume that you don't click "yes, allow". If you would, you would likely have a cookie saying "he/she is ours" with a lifetime longer than the heatdeath of the universe. If you dare to click no, that's when you get 10k options and optouts and have to send fax to someones grandma.

The root cause of your experience being worse is not the legislation, it's that the site doesn't follow the intent/purpose of the law. They want to annoy you until you click "yes".

They could simply present you with a yes/no modal once and be done with it, but they choose not to, hoping that they will break you down with time.