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I believe that these practices should be completely outlawed. I could in principle not see it anything less than a form of unlawful surveillance.

ravar 8y ago
I am personally happy to see that this happened in Vermont and not on the federal level. We now have the opportunity to see the impact this has on the citizens of Vermont and whether or not the regulations are effective. Nothing beats experimentation and the scientific method.
- dmitriid 8y ago
  Data protection laws existed in Europe long before GDPR. Every country had them. And companies would simply disregard them until they became GDPR with the promise of fines and enforcement.
  - fuck_google 8y ago
    Companies also had a much harder job following the numerous country specific data protection laws before GDPR. GDPR actually helps both companies and individuals as it unifies the regulation within the EU. Unification makes it easier for companies to comply and helps both companies and users in understanding the rules. And it can already be seen that GDPR drives the unification of data protection rules outside the EU as well, since there has been a growing need for such unification for a long time.
nightsd01 8y ago
That’s a bit extreme. Most of this data gets used for targeted advertising. While that sounds (and sometimes is) shady, it also enables a lot of niche companies that had a much harder time existing before. For example, what’s the point in showing ads for custom quadcopter parts to an 80 year old grandmother who doesn’t know what a quadcopter is? Data should be regulated and protected much more than it currently is. But the idea of banning it entirely would have a lot of negative effects. Let’s be smarter than that.
- adamnemecek 8y ago
  > lot of niche companies that had a much harder time existing before. Oh the horror.
- pacala 8y ago
  If I need quadrocopter parts, I'll search for quadrocopter parts. I don't need your ads to push quadrocopter parts on me on the hope that I might be slightly more interested in them than an 80 year old grandmother. I need you to build a good product and display it in a good store.
  - Justsignedup 8y ago
    Ads are unsolicited untrusted information. Though sometimes you want to get the word out about a specific thing. But this is where getting people's social circles hearing about something and trying it is important. I definitely see a few needs for advertisement. But mostly down sides IMO.
  - ende 8y ago
    This really cuts to the core of the issue. Consumers will naturally seek out the things they wish to buy. Nobody needs to be distracted from their activities to be told what to buy. All advertising should be strictly confined to designated areas specifically intended for consumer searching.
    - tdb7893 8y ago
      There are a lot of movies I went to after I saw an ad for it which I never would have searched for on my own (and I can say the same about restaurants and a couple other peoducts). Consumers aren't going to search for something they don't know exists in the first place
      - wlll 8y ago
        Yeah, but if you hadn't seen those ads, and not watched those movies, would your life really be worse than it is now? > Consumers aren't going to search for something they don't know exists in the first place If a consumer doesn't buy something they don't know exists, does it really matter? Life, at least for me and the people I know, doesn't revolve around finding things to spend money on.
crobertsbmw 8y ago
My biggest concern are insurance companies and potential employers.
- astura 8y ago
  If insurance companies and employers use that information (as well as creditors) it become subject to the FCRA; as well as subject to state, local, and federal laws about lending, insurance underwriting, and employment. This information merely existing (for advertising purposes) doesn't suddenly make it legal to use it in specifically illegal ways. For example, it's a standard practice to use a person's credit history and credit score during insurance underwriting - data shows people who are responsible with credit have less claims, so they have lower premiums. However, say you live in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts it's illegal for insurance companies to take your credit history and credit score into account when determining policy premiums. So insurance companies are not allowed to access your credit if you live in Massachusetts even though that information is widely available and used in other states.

ravar 8y ago

I am personally happy to see that this happened in Vermont and not on the federal level. We now have the opportunity to see the impact this has on the citizens of Vermont and whether or not the regulations are effective. Nothing beats experimentation and the scientific method.

dmitriid 8y ago
Data protection laws existed in Europe long before GDPR. Every country had them. And companies would simply disregard them until they became GDPR with the promise of fines and enforcement.
- fuck_google 8y ago
  Companies also had a much harder job following the numerous country specific data protection laws before GDPR. GDPR actually helps both companies and individuals as it unifies the regulation within the EU. Unification makes it easier for companies to comply and helps both companies and users in understanding the rules. And it can already be seen that GDPR drives the unification of data protection rules outside the EU as well, since there has been a growing need for such unification for a long time.

nightsd01 8y ago

That’s a bit extreme. Most of this data gets used for targeted advertising. While that sounds (and sometimes is) shady, it also enables a lot of niche companies that had a much harder time existing before. For example, what’s the point in showing ads for custom quadcopter parts to an 80 year old grandmother who doesn’t know what a quadcopter is? Data should be regulated and protected much more than it currently is. But the idea of banning it entirely would have a lot of negative effects. Let’s be smarter than that.

adamnemecek 8y ago
> lot of niche companies that had a much harder time existing before. Oh the horror.
pacala 8y ago
If I need quadrocopter parts, I'll search for quadrocopter parts. I don't need your ads to push quadrocopter parts on me on the hope that I might be slightly more interested in them than an 80 year old grandmother. I need you to build a good product and display it in a good store.
- Justsignedup 8y ago
  Ads are unsolicited untrusted information. Though sometimes you want to get the word out about a specific thing. But this is where getting people's social circles hearing about something and trying it is important. I definitely see a few needs for advertisement. But mostly down sides IMO.
- ende 8y ago
  This really cuts to the core of the issue. Consumers will naturally seek out the things they wish to buy. Nobody needs to be distracted from their activities to be told what to buy. All advertising should be strictly confined to designated areas specifically intended for consumer searching.
  - tdb7893 8y ago
    There are a lot of movies I went to after I saw an ad for it which I never would have searched for on my own (and I can say the same about restaurants and a couple other peoducts). Consumers aren't going to search for something they don't know exists in the first place
    - wlll 8y ago
      Yeah, but if you hadn't seen those ads, and not watched those movies, would your life really be worse than it is now? > Consumers aren't going to search for something they don't know exists in the first place If a consumer doesn't buy something they don't know exists, does it really matter? Life, at least for me and the people I know, doesn't revolve around finding things to spend money on.

crobertsbmw 8y ago

My biggest concern are insurance companies and potential employers.

astura 8y ago
If insurance companies and employers use that information (as well as creditors) it become subject to the FCRA; as well as subject to state, local, and federal laws about lending, insurance underwriting, and employment. This information merely existing (for advertising purposes) doesn't suddenly make it legal to use it in specifically illegal ways. For example, it's a standard practice to use a person's credit history and credit score during insurance underwriting - data shows people who are responsible with credit have less claims, so they have lower premiums. However, say you live in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts it's illegal for insurance companies to take your credit history and credit score into account when determining policy premiums. So insurance companies are not allowed to access your credit if you live in Massachusetts even though that information is widely available and used in other states.