It's basicallly just a label they beed to slap to suddenly be avle to circumvent some forms of non-consent. There's also overriding legitimate interest (just as vague btw so it covers everything).

In other words, legitimate interest is a form of rape (what with the circumcenting consent and all)

Will do when I encounter any more

~~This is no longer true thanks to a ruling by the European Data Protection Board.~~ Hang on, I was misreading. I believe there's been a recent ruling, but this one ain't it.

EDIT: See pages 39 and 40. ~~Here, it seems as though no "equivalent alternative" is provided under these criteria. It seems to me like consent-or-pay is heading toward an eventual ban, but Heise makes it clear on their website you can consent, pay, or leave – i.e. not an "equivalent alternative" to my mind.~~

EDIT 2: Okay, upon reading these criteria further, it seems like this isn't a violation of EU law but that it's reaaaally close and that the EDPB really hates consent-or-pay as a loophole and wants it to die as soon as possible. If not breaking the law, it's still an ethical nightmare, so the first line of my comment stands: "Heise Group, you greedy cocks."

Ok, lets go down the line of things happening here.
You kill data mining, great, awesome! You have my support!
Oh, but suddenly, worldwide, hundred of thousands of job fall. Data brokers fall first. Their servers drop and the thousands of project managers, database administrators, developers, product managers and all in between get without a job.
Ok but fine, maybe they can find a new job! Positive thinking! It is a big world after all!

Oh, but the data brokers are gone, so now analysists cant tell what people will like, what they dont, what works and doesnt. Whoops. But hey, nothing bad those are gone! Maybe they can find jobs down town in the factory that doesnt exists or uses robots.

No analysists, so maybe trying to make that one show or product you like doesnt sound that attractive to produce anymore. Hey, who knows who'll buy it right? Maybe that product you like will make a few wrong guesses and die out. But nothing bad, another company will fill the hole left behind by dieing companies!

Now scientists ( im including computer scientists here ) cant access data at large anymore either because data brokers are forbidden in proxy. Shit, how are we going to get our data about diseases now. From a limited set? Okidoki! Our research says 90% of tested people get cancer from drinking water. Water is deadly now guys! Our data of 10 people said it was!
How do we process patient data to find problems before hand, easy we dont lawl. Who needs that stuff anyway!

Oh hey, since nobody is allowed to collect and sell data anymore, those few sites you use will die. They cant maintain the costs of research & development nor the hosting. So they have to paywall their site or close the doors, like the good old days with newspapers, pubs, cafe's and television! Those were the days! But i like to pay for quality stuff so they can live! Ok, now lets do that for every site you visit and use in your day-to-day life!

Look, you get the picture i hope. I hate data collecting and have systems in check to hopefully poison the well myself. But your shortsighted approach is not the solution. The world is a hell a lot more complex than that.
Sources to this line of thinking: me, who works in healthcare, my brother working as a project manager in a data company to use in researches, and my other brother working as cto in electricity facilities.