That is a common misconception in the industry here in Germany but that doesn't make it true. I was often told to add a Cookie Consent banner even for sites that don't use any Cookies at all. Fact is, you don't need a Cookie Consent banner for functional cookies.
The issue with Matomo is that even though nicer than Google Analytics it is optional for the working of the website, so it should only activate if the user consents.
There is some serious cargo culting regarding these kind of laws going on. I remember back in the day that you would add "I don't take responsibility for the external links" kind of disclaimers on every website. Or everyone thinking they need a Impressum (legal info/contact info) page on their website because it is required by law. (No only for commercial sites, which is reasonable.)
I largely agree. An Impressum/Imprint is however not only needed for explicitly commercial sites, but also for sites that are not purely personal. E.g. just earning some cents with an ad banner on your personal site means you need an imprint. There have been lots of lawsuits, it's really ugly, and I totally can understand that people want to be on the safe side.
Yeah it still good style to always provide Imprint.
I just listed it as an example where people don't understand the nuance around an issue. "You better provide some Imprint if you are in doubt" becomes "You are required by law to always have an Imprint"
The issue with Matomo is that even though nicer than Google Analytics it is optional for the working of the website, so it should only activate if the user consents.
There is some serious cargo culting regarding these kind of laws going on. I remember back in the day that you would add "I don't take responsibility for the external links" kind of disclaimers on every website. Or everyone thinking they need a Impressum (legal info/contact info) page on their website because it is required by law. (No only for commercial sites, which is reasonable.)