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This should have always had been implemented by the user agent, not by web authors.

You're still thinking of it exclusively in terms of frontend web development (consent popups) whereas the original regulation was largely concerned with reducing data collection by the business in general, at a backend/database level & even things like manual in-person/on-paper collection.

The frontend content screen component of the whole topic was something that emerged afterward as businesses' attempt to get away with continuing rampant unfettered data collection.

To add to this, the law allows for data collection for a bunch of reasons. However, it intended to put a stop to a lot of data collection practices that were not to the benefit of the user, and informed consent is an exception to still allow for that, but only in the case that the user is actually actively OK with it. But of course, companies then started harassing users to make them agree, and the narrative arose that the EU "forced" them to do it.

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