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Eventually what will happen is all major services on internet that the consent popup will turn into an annoying experience like you have to click 'I Agree' butt

Eventually what will happen is all major services on internet that the consent popup will turn into an annoying experience like you have to click 'I Agree' button whenever you are installing any software. Major portion of internet users don't understand laws/privacy and they would just click 'I Agree' to move forward to next step. This is still a big win for the companies since they have engineered a behavior where people just click 'I agree' without understanding it.

ifmpx 6y ago
Which will encourage courts to render these "agreements" invalid. I think there was a study that showed that it would take the average user 40 man-years to read and understand each software or serive legal agreements they "agree" to. Software legal agreements are a farce, and it's only a matter of time before governments step in and regulate the shit out of it.
- amluto 6y ago
  As I understand it, it’s crystal clear under EU law that these I Agree popups violate the GDPR.
  - virgilp 6y ago
    Yeah, I really don't get it. Google seems to be daring EU to apply a 5% fine.... why wouldn't EU do that?
    - mywittyname 6y ago
      They wouldn't be able to enforce it.
      - virgilp 6y ago
        Like what, Google would stop operating in Ireland and Netherlands? That’s worse than the rine
      - distances 6y ago
        Of course EU can enforce fines? It's being done all the time, the same as in US.
    - throwaway33339 6y ago
      5% is pocket money. By the time the get sued, lose, appeal, lose the appeal, etc. they'll have made that money many times over. At this scale fines are just the cost of doing business. The only way to act as an actual deterrent is to put executives behind bars or dismantle the company.
- Nextgrid 6y ago
  Note that Google's consent form is already invalid and completely useless from the GDPR's point of view. As per the GDPR, consent should be freely given (you are not penalized for declining) and it should be as easy to decline as it is to agree (something as simple as pre-ticked checkboxes is already in breach). The ICO's (UK privacy regulator) website provides more details: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/lawful-basis-for-processing/consent/ https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protectio... The current Google consent prompt fails the second test. There is an easy "I agree" button but no "I decline". The "See more" button leads you to some more filler text and turns the button to "Other options". Clicking that gives you more filler text and some links to Google/YouTube history and ad settings, but setting those doesn't actually dismiss the modal and you are still supposed to click "I agree". Furthermore the Google personalized ad opt-out says the setting can take hours to apply, which would also not comply with the GDPR as ad tracking should be opt-in to begin with.
  - paulryanrogers 6y ago
    What is at stake if the EU agrees this is a violation?
    - rightbyte 6y ago
      E.g.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission
Proven 6y ago
This is a big win for big government and busybodies who will come up with new ideas on how to screw with our lives. Before it was just as bad privacy-wise but it wasn't as annoying (for customers and developers) or expensive (for businesses trying to comply or work around these nonsense laws). What is the outcome of all that? As always with more government meddling, it is more bureaucracy in both public and private sector, crappier and more expensive services, lower quality of life.
tinus_hn 6y ago
In the EU forcing consent by not allowing people to close these boxes without accepting just is not consent. Most sites these days have a reasonable way to refuse most tracking.

ifmpx 6y ago

Which will encourage courts to render these "agreements" invalid. I think there was a study that showed that it would take the average user 40 man-years to read and understand each software or serive legal agreements they "agree" to. Software legal agreements are a farce, and it's only a matter of time before governments step in and regulate the shit out of it.

amluto 6y ago
As I understand it, it’s crystal clear under EU law that these I Agree popups violate the GDPR.
- virgilp 6y ago
  Yeah, I really don't get it. Google seems to be daring EU to apply a 5% fine.... why wouldn't EU do that?
  - mywittyname 6y ago
    They wouldn't be able to enforce it.
    - virgilp 6y ago
      Like what, Google would stop operating in Ireland and Netherlands? That’s worse than the rine
    - distances 6y ago
      Of course EU can enforce fines? It's being done all the time, the same as in US.
  - throwaway33339 6y ago
    5% is pocket money. By the time the get sued, lose, appeal, lose the appeal, etc. they'll have made that money many times over. At this scale fines are just the cost of doing business. The only way to act as an actual deterrent is to put executives behind bars or dismantle the company.
Nextgrid 6y ago
Note that Google's consent form is already invalid and completely useless from the GDPR's point of view. As per the GDPR, consent should be freely given (you are not penalized for declining) and it should be as easy to decline as it is to agree (something as simple as pre-ticked checkboxes is already in breach). The ICO's (UK privacy regulator) website provides more details: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/lawful-basis-for-processing/consent/ https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protectio... The current Google consent prompt fails the second test. There is an easy "I agree" button but no "I decline". The "See more" button leads you to some more filler text and turns the button to "Other options". Clicking that gives you more filler text and some links to Google/YouTube history and ad settings, but setting those doesn't actually dismiss the modal and you are still supposed to click "I agree". Furthermore the Google personalized ad opt-out says the setting can take hours to apply, which would also not comply with the GDPR as ad tracking should be opt-in to begin with.
- paulryanrogers 6y ago
  What is at stake if the EU agrees this is a violation?
  - rightbyte 6y ago
    E.g.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Corp._v._Commission

Proven 6y ago

This is a big win for big government and busybodies who will come up with new ideas on how to screw with our lives. Before it was just as bad privacy-wise but it wasn't as annoying (for customers and developers) or expensive (for businesses trying to comply or work around these nonsense laws). What is the outcome of all that? As always with more government meddling, it is more bureaucracy in both public and private sector, crappier and more expensive services, lower quality of life.

tinus_hn 6y ago

In the EU forcing consent by not allowing people to close these boxes without accepting just is not consent. Most sites these days have a reasonable way to refuse most tracking.