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Before this law websites collected my data. After this law, websites collect my data AND I am harassed with notices. If the intent of this law was to stop webs

by Permit 7y ago

Before this law websites collected my data. After this law, websites collect my data AND I am harassed with notices. If the intent of this law was to stop websites from collecting user data then it appears to me it has completely failed while also introducing more friction for users.

gpderetta 7y ago
They won't be collecting it if you opt out.
- colejohnson66 7y ago
  The problem is: that’s what’s supposed to happen. In practice, most websites go for the: by visiting this site, you consent to our tracking cookies. Which, as I understand (as a US citizen), is illegal under the cookie law.
  - gpderetta 7y ago
    Sure, they could also mining bitconins or installing rootkits on your machine. The law won't prevent people from doing illegal stuff, but at least they can be persecuted.
lm28469 7y ago
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Talk about HN doublethink/doublespeak on privacy. Not EU's fault if websites developers can't figure out how not to display EU mandatory popups in the US (pro tip: it's not that difficult). On my side of the pond these popups are actually useful.
- Mirioron 7y ago
  Maybe the EU could've tried becoming GDPR compliant themselves before it went into effect? That way they would've had an idea of what it would take to do so.
  - lm28469 7y ago
    EU could've tried becoming GDPR compliant ? Can you elaborate on that ?
    - Mirioron 7y ago
      The EU commission's own websites were not GDPR compliant for quite a long time after GDPR took effect. They still eventually became compliant, but it wasn't there from day 1, which is what you would expect from the body that made the regulation. Part of the reason why is that the commission doesn't have to follow GDPR (rules for thee).
      - lm28469 7y ago
        Ah right, let's cancel everything then... This is buzzfeed level of argumentation. What do you care about ? The official GDPR website developers being too lazy to update their own website or Facebook, Google & co. willingly juicing every single drop of your privacy ?
        big_chungus 7y ago
        Normally I would dismiss this as trivial, but the GDPR was intended to make a point. Both as a bit of a slap to American tech companies, and to claim that, "We in EUrope take privacy seriously!" If you are going out of your way not just to pass a law but to vocally chastise companies, it is reasonable to expect you have gotten your own house in order first.
- strken 7y ago
  How is it "not that difficult"? Can you go into detail? What are the consequences of failing to serve a popup to e.g. a European who's using a VPN, or who has a slightly unusual IP address for which geolocation doesn't work properly, or to someone with a non-European account who is in Europe on a visa?
  - lm28469 7y ago
    We're talking about the 0.0001% here, and frankly it doesn't matter. The EU has a fundamentally more sane judicial system than the US, no one will be prosecuted because they didn't serve a pop up to a single EU user who were using a VPN. What matters is that companies are legally obligated to treat personal data as best as they can and if it's proven that they willingly messed up or that they made stupid technical decisions (ie leaving an ES instance open without any password or network protection level of stupidity) they will be held accountable. It's not perfect but it's much better than nothing.
- darawk 7y ago
  What is it that you use these popups for?
brnt 7y ago
Under the GDPR, data collection must be opt-in, so if you say no it shouldn't collect. Blaming harassment on the law seems a bit strange, it's the website doing it because it wants have your data, not because it is obliged to ask you about it. Not collecting data is an option too, but it seems not to these websites.
- Mirioron 7y ago
  Even saying "no" is annoying though. If I don't want cookies then I can turn cookies off in my browser settings and turn it on for the sites I like.
  - lm28469 7y ago
    > If I don't want cookies then I can turn cookies off in my browser settings and turn it on for the sites I like. Most people have no idea about these settings and shouldn't have to worry about them.
  - janc_ 7y ago
    There is no 1:1 relationship between cookies and data collection (they can collect data about you without cookies, and cookies are often used for legitimate & useful purposes).
    - gsich 7y ago
      >legitimate & useful purposes those don't need consent.
jcelerier 7y ago
> Before this law websites collected my data. After this law, websites collect my data AND I am harassed with notices. For me it is a very good filter - most of the time I don't actually care that much about the website so... you want my data ? ctrl-w it is.
- metacritic12 7y ago
  You are in the minority.
- gpderetta 7y ago
  It is a very good filter. A few sites have a clear accept reject. The majority have a questionable accept, go to next screen to reject, annoying but acceptable. But then there are a few that make it practically impossible to opt out. Those are obviously malicious and of course should not be trusted for anything.
TeMPOraL 7y ago
No, the intent of that law was to make sites think twice about whether they want to continue abusing their visitors, in hope the market will self-regulate. The GDPR is the result of market failing to self-regulate, and now sites can't get data without consent, unless they want to get fined.
meddlepal 7y ago
It reminds me of those useless "Enter your Date of Birth to Proceed" forms on alcohol and porn sites. Pointless. But it made someone in the EU feel like they accomplished something.

by Permit 7y ago

gpderetta 7y ago

They won't be collecting it if you opt out.

colejohnson66 7y ago
The problem is: that’s what’s supposed to happen. In practice, most websites go for the: by visiting this site, you consent to our tracking cookies. Which, as I understand (as a US citizen), is illegal under the cookie law.
- gpderetta 7y ago
  Sure, they could also mining bitconins or installing rootkits on your machine. The law won't prevent people from doing illegal stuff, but at least they can be persecuted.

lm28469 7y ago

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Talk about HN doublethink/doublespeak on privacy. Not EU's fault if websites developers can't figure out how not to display EU mandatory popups in the US (pro tip: it's not that difficult). On my side of the pond these popups are actually useful.

Mirioron 7y ago
Maybe the EU could've tried becoming GDPR compliant themselves before it went into effect? That way they would've had an idea of what it would take to do so.
- lm28469 7y ago
  EU could've tried becoming GDPR compliant ? Can you elaborate on that ?
  - Mirioron 7y ago
    The EU commission's own websites were not GDPR compliant for quite a long time after GDPR took effect. They still eventually became compliant, but it wasn't there from day 1, which is what you would expect from the body that made the regulation. Part of the reason why is that the commission doesn't have to follow GDPR (rules for thee).
    - lm28469 7y ago
      Ah right, let's cancel everything then... This is buzzfeed level of argumentation. What do you care about ? The official GDPR website developers being too lazy to update their own website or Facebook, Google & co. willingly juicing every single drop of your privacy ?
      - big_chungus 7y ago
        Normally I would dismiss this as trivial, but the GDPR was intended to make a point. Both as a bit of a slap to American tech companies, and to claim that, "We in EUrope take privacy seriously!" If you are going out of your way not just to pass a law but to vocally chastise companies, it is reasonable to expect you have gotten your own house in order first.
strken 7y ago
How is it "not that difficult"? Can you go into detail? What are the consequences of failing to serve a popup to e.g. a European who's using a VPN, or who has a slightly unusual IP address for which geolocation doesn't work properly, or to someone with a non-European account who is in Europe on a visa?
- lm28469 7y ago
  We're talking about the 0.0001% here, and frankly it doesn't matter. The EU has a fundamentally more sane judicial system than the US, no one will be prosecuted because they didn't serve a pop up to a single EU user who were using a VPN. What matters is that companies are legally obligated to treat personal data as best as they can and if it's proven that they willingly messed up or that they made stupid technical decisions (ie leaving an ES instance open without any password or network protection level of stupidity) they will be held accountable. It's not perfect but it's much better than nothing.
darawk 7y ago
What is it that you use these popups for?

brnt 7y ago

Under the GDPR, data collection must be opt-in, so if you say no it shouldn't collect. Blaming harassment on the law seems a bit strange, it's the website doing it because it wants have your data, not because it is obliged to ask you about it. Not collecting data is an option too, but it seems not to these websites.

Mirioron 7y ago
Even saying "no" is annoying though. If I don't want cookies then I can turn cookies off in my browser settings and turn it on for the sites I like.
- lm28469 7y ago
  > If I don't want cookies then I can turn cookies off in my browser settings and turn it on for the sites I like. Most people have no idea about these settings and shouldn't have to worry about them.
- janc_ 7y ago
  There is no 1:1 relationship between cookies and data collection (they can collect data about you without cookies, and cookies are often used for legitimate & useful purposes).
  - gsich 7y ago
    >legitimate & useful purposes those don't need consent.

jcelerier 7y ago

> Before this law websites collected my data. After this law, websites collect my data AND I am harassed with notices. For me it is a very good filter - most of the time I don't actually care that much about the website so... you want my data ? ctrl-w it is.

metacritic12 7y ago
You are in the minority.
gpderetta 7y ago
It is a very good filter. A few sites have a clear accept reject. The majority have a questionable accept, go to next screen to reject, annoying but acceptable. But then there are a few that make it practically impossible to opt out. Those are obviously malicious and of course should not be trusted for anything.

TeMPOraL 7y ago

No, the intent of that law was to make sites think twice about whether they want to continue abusing their visitors, in hope the market will self-regulate. The GDPR is the result of market failing to self-regulate, and now sites can't get data without consent, unless they want to get fined.

meddlepal 7y ago

It reminds me of those useless "Enter your Date of Birth to Proceed" forms on alcohol and porn sites. Pointless. But it made someone in the EU feel like they accomplished something.