I believe the writer is referring to the GDPR regulations in Europe which are coming into force May 25, 2018, therefore "ahead of time" is chronologically accur

I believe the writer is referring to the GDPR regulations in Europe which are coming into force May 25, 2018, therefore "ahead of time" is chronologically accurate. They have a handy countdown clock here: https://www.eugdpr.org/ https://www.eugdpr.org/