5 ms·

€20mil is the maximum, and there are lower tiers for lesser infractions. That is a figure used to bring non-European companies who wish to trade in the EEA but

€20mil is the maximum, and there are lower tiers for lesser infractions. That is a figure used to bring non-European companies who wish to trade in the EEA but not comply to the negotiating table. We rarely see the largest tier of fines here in the UK, I'd expect little to change there too. Reputational damage should be a focus of anyone concerned with risk here.

_o_ 9y ago
Not really true :) $20mil or 4% global revenue whichever is higher. $20mil is nothing for ggl/fb/... This time EU did it right, I doubt some small local shop will ever get max punishment but the % of global revenue is on the other side still something that can bite global corporations.
- 77pt77 9y ago
  > I doubt some small local shop will ever get max punishment Why? It's selective prosecution, plain and simple. These things have a history of being selectively used to punish institutions for other reasons that are not easy to do using the law To the people downvoting, imagine the following scenario: Website promotes ideas the EU finds problematic. The EU wants to silence it but can't because of free-speech laws or any other constraint. All they have to do is find something trivial under this law and punish them for it, bankrupting the company. All of these "I hope the law will be applied reasonably" are dangerous because they give the state too much power.
  - klokoman 9y ago
    Nobody believes the legislators have ill intent. Then they find themselves ruined but waking up then is hard too.
    - 77pt77 9y ago
      What this law means is that I'll never do any business, even freelance, without being shielded by an LLC.
      - klokoman 9y ago
        Not just business, even information websites are affected. This is the most vicious attack against freedom of speech the EU ever pulled off.
        outsideoflife 9y ago
        Could you elaborate on how this is a restriction on freedom of speech? How is an 'information site' affected? Take HN for example, when I signed up they didn't even ask my name. They probably log IP addresses and would be entitled to, for the purposes of analyzing malicious use.
        peoplewindow 9y ago
        It's all PII. People post personal details about their lives here, some use their real names as their username, the site asks for email addresses, how is it not PII? As for IPs. Any website could claim they need IP addresses for analyzing malicious use. So either it'll be a new cookie law in which they all use the vagueness of the new rules to loophole themselves out, or the EU will decide that this is only "reasonable" sometimes. The law effectively says nothing so whether or not HN would be entitled to store this data is essentially undefined. Here's what will really happen to HN - nothing. But Google will get huge fines for doing exactly the same thing, and everyone will be left wondering if they're next.
        outsideoflife 9y ago
        > People post personal details about their lives here Which they explicitly choose to do > some use their real names as their username Which is not required to use the site > the site asks for email addresses But you don't have to give one. If you do give one it is only used for password resets. Write that in your privacy policy and keep the email safe. > Any website could claim they need IP addresses for analyzing malicious use Yes they can, and the law allows it. Don't sell them to data aggregators and put it in your privacy policy why you are keeping it. If you don't want to then send the logs to /dev/null > or the EU will decide The courts will decide. > The law effectively says nothing so whether or not HN would be entitled to store this data is essentially undefined. What do you want from the EU? A law that references the internet protocol explicitly, and every possible use of it? What happens when the protocol changes, or someone invents a new protocol, or a new way of exploiting it? Pass another law that says the same thing? Laws in the EU are generally principle based for exactly this reason, they age much better. > Here's what will really happen to HN - nothing Because they are doing nothing wrong!

_o_ 9y ago

Not really true :) $20mil or 4% global revenue whichever is higher. $20mil is nothing for ggl/fb/... This time EU did it right, I doubt some small local shop will ever get max punishment but the % of global revenue is on the other side still something that can bite global corporations.

77pt77 9y ago
> I doubt some small local shop will ever get max punishment Why? It's selective prosecution, plain and simple. These things have a history of being selectively used to punish institutions for other reasons that are not easy to do using the law To the people downvoting, imagine the following scenario: Website promotes ideas the EU finds problematic. The EU wants to silence it but can't because of free-speech laws or any other constraint. All they have to do is find something trivial under this law and punish them for it, bankrupting the company. All of these "I hope the law will be applied reasonably" are dangerous because they give the state too much power.
- klokoman 9y ago
  Nobody believes the legislators have ill intent. Then they find themselves ruined but waking up then is hard too.
  - 77pt77 9y ago
    What this law means is that I'll never do any business, even freelance, without being shielded by an LLC.
    - klokoman 9y ago
      Not just business, even information websites are affected. This is the most vicious attack against freedom of speech the EU ever pulled off.
      - outsideoflife 9y ago
        Could you elaborate on how this is a restriction on freedom of speech? How is an 'information site' affected? Take HN for example, when I signed up they didn't even ask my name. They probably log IP addresses and would be entitled to, for the purposes of analyzing malicious use.
        peoplewindow 9y ago
        It's all PII. People post personal details about their lives here, some use their real names as their username, the site asks for email addresses, how is it not PII? As for IPs. Any website could claim they need IP addresses for analyzing malicious use. So either it'll be a new cookie law in which they all use the vagueness of the new rules to loophole themselves out, or the EU will decide that this is only "reasonable" sometimes. The law effectively says nothing so whether or not HN would be entitled to store this data is essentially undefined. Here's what will really happen to HN - nothing. But Google will get huge fines for doing exactly the same thing, and everyone will be left wondering if they're next.
        outsideoflife 9y ago
        > People post personal details about their lives here Which they explicitly choose to do > some use their real names as their username Which is not required to use the site > the site asks for email addresses But you don't have to give one. If you do give one it is only used for password resets. Write that in your privacy policy and keep the email safe. > Any website could claim they need IP addresses for analyzing malicious use Yes they can, and the law allows it. Don't sell them to data aggregators and put it in your privacy policy why you are keeping it. If you don't want to then send the logs to /dev/null > or the EU will decide The courts will decide. > The law effectively says nothing so whether or not HN would be entitled to store this data is essentially undefined. What do you want from the EU? A law that references the internet protocol explicitly, and every possible use of it? What happens when the protocol changes, or someone invents a new protocol, or a new way of exploiting it? Pass another law that says the same thing? Laws in the EU are generally principle based for exactly this reason, they age much better. > Here's what will really happen to HN - nothing Because they are doing nothing wrong!