Reply to: Brexit - Hurry Up Please So I can Read The LA Times Online Again (25 May EU Lockout)

[meridian]

As we've seen with the US sites which are now blocking EU users, most likely out of fear of falling foul of the regs, there is a tendency to panic when something as powerful comes in. E.g. if someone doesn't understand GDPR, if in doubt, make sure one has no dealings in the EU.

There does appear to be a general lack of understanding (mine included). Some emails that I'm going through this morning include:
- a real estate agency that I registered with a year ago saying that I don't need to do anything but they'll only use my email address to send me newsletters
- Hertz, who I've joined up with and have an account number on the email, saying that unless I opt in they won't send me anything
- Recruitment agency that I've registered with but never used saying that they will no longer be able to hold my info unless I confirm that they can

Seems to be a mix of: companies that have only updated their privacy policies, companies that will still hold my data but not send me anything, and companies that will delete any personal data unless I explicitly opt in.

[darmstadt]

I think that as the UK pretty much ignores any EU regulations until it is too late that there will be more problems. On the mainland, companies have been preparing for this for quite a while. German agencies have been sending me mails starting quite a few weeks ago whereas the UK ones started just a couple of days ago and I'm still getting them (at least I can now opt-out of all the crap S3 stuff I get.) Even my doctors and dentists surgery has notices around explaining what it means to people. If the UK took a bit more interest in the workings of the EU then they would have more influence, instead you end up with the cluster**** that is happening now

[BR14]

WGAFF?

[Mordac]

What about your medical data which the NHS keeps?
Your school records and qualifications (I suspect there aren't that many in your case).
Your financial information that banks, mortgage companies etc. store?
Your bill payment information?
Your search history on google?
The sites that's you've visited that your ISP stores?
etc. etc.

And you call me a plum?

Are you beginning to get a glimmer of light in the fog that engulfs you for most of the time?

Medical data: I doubt it's freely available on the internet, but it will be on my GPs system, and that's fine with me.
School & Qualifications: When I went to school, the internet didn't exist, and I doubt they have the cash to put historic exam records on the net. My Microsoft certs are held online, and you need a pwd to access them. Again, I'm happy with that.
Financial information: Of course they hold that, or you wouldn't be able to get your regular payday loans...
Bill payments: I've nothing to hide, they have to store it otherwise nobody would be able to do anything which involved credit.
Search Information: Again, nothing to hide. Sounds like you do, but that ain't my problem.
Sites visited: That's a UK govt requirement, but I don't remember you bitching about that when it came in (maybe you did) but again, I don't have anything to hide.

If you bothered to read my response (and more importantly, understand it) the whole point is about preventing abuse, and the folks who are most keen on abusing data they harvest from the net are the least likely to be affected by GDPR.

[sasguru]

I have general reservations about placing restrictions on internet data. If I don't want the world knowing something personal about me, I don't post it on Facebook or anywhere else. My CV is on Jobswerve and a couple of other sites, because I want the necessary people to be able to contact me. And that's it.

What about your medical data which the NHS keeps?
Your school records and qualifications (I suspect there aren't that many in your case).
Your financial information that banks, mortgage companies etc. store?
Your bill payment information?
Your search history on google?
The sites that's you've visited that your ISP stores?
etc. etc.

And you call me a plum?

Are you beginning to get a glimmer of light in the fog that engulfs you for most of the time?

[Mordac]

You're assuming he has the foggiest idea ...

You are a plum sometimes. No, scrub that, you are a plum all the time.

[Mordac]

What about it, technically, don’t you like and would change? What difficulties is it causing, apart from protecting personal information?

(Genuinely interested)

As we've seen with the US sites which are now blocking EU users, most likely out of fear of falling foul of the regs, there is a tendency to panic when something as powerful comes in. E.g. if someone doesn't understand GDPR, if in doubt, make sure one has no dealings in the EU. It looks like this is what's happening, hopefully it won't last long. It will however cost genuine businesses a shedload of money to make sure they're compliant, and the dodgy spammer types will just carry on as normal, because the EU won't be going after a bloke in Nigeria or wherever. There's nothing in it for them, so they'll only go after the big tech companies. Some of whom may just decide it's just not worth doing business in the EU.
As an aside, I wonder how much of this was consulted with member states, and how much is just the result of some excitable bureaucrats who got a bit carried away?

ICANN is already kicking up a fuss, they might have to shut down WHOIS within the EU:
https://www.zdnet.com/article/dns-is...ble-with-gdpr/

I have general reservations about placing restrictions on internet data. If I don't want the world knowing something personal about me, I don't post it on Facebook or anywhere else. My CV is on Jobswerve and a couple of other sites, because I want the necessary people to be able to contact me. And that's it. I don't see the need to police genuine business to the point where they can't trade without complying with a directive which seems to be designed specifically to collect fines from US tech firms, rather than targeting the real crooks.
I wouldn't be surprised if there was a bit of a backlash on this; imagine the outcry if the net went a bit dark in Europe, with all the big sites shutting EU users out for a few days.

[DaveB]

A good idea, possibly, but it's been drafted and implemented by cretins, most likely so they can fine all the big US tech companies all over again. It is creating difficulties in doing business in the EU, how can you possibly think that's a good thing? Unless you're a cretin...

If you actually bother to read the regulations themselves and the accompanying recitals it's one of the best drafted pieces of legislation around. It's clear, it's concise, it's focussed and the recitals give context and guidance on how it is intended to be implemented. That's why there has been so much actual activity going on around it because there is very little ambiguity about what you are supposed to do.

There is a nicely HTML formatted version here that includes links to all the relevant recitals for you as well.

https://gdpr-info.eu

[sasguru]

What about it, technically, don’t you like and would change? What difficulties is it causing, apart from protecting personal information?

(Genuinely interested)

You're assuming he has the foggiest idea ...

[meridian]

A good idea, possibly, but it's been drafted and implemented by cretins, most likely so they can fine all the big US tech companies all over again. It is creating difficulties in doing business in the EU, how can you possibly think that's a good thing? Unless you're a cretin...

What about it, technically, don’t you like and would change? What difficulties is it causing, apart from protecting personal information?

(Genuinely interested)

[sasguru]

A good idea, possibly, but it's been drafted and implemented by cretins, most likely so they can fine all the big US tech companies all over again. It is creating difficulties in doing business in the EU, how can you possibly think that's a good thing? Unless you're a cretin...

No it's not you imbecilic moron.
Previously there were different data standards for each country, now there is one.
Do some fooking research before having a brain-fart opinion.
Oh wait I forgot you're a brexiter....

Being gammon you'd probably whine the loudest of your data was misused anyway. Wouldn't want your missus knowing about your sub to Grindr now, would you? This protects you.

[Mordac]

FFS if you're really missing the "Lebanon Times" of Lebanon, US I'm sure you'll find a way to access it. Or you're a cretin.
The GDPR is generally a good idea in my book.

A good idea, possibly, but it's been drafted and implemented by cretins, most likely so they can fine all the big US tech companies all over again. It is creating difficulties in doing business in the EU, how can you possibly think that's a good thing? Unless you're a cretin...

[meridian]

"The European Union’s digital privacy law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), officially went into effect today. But some websites in the U.S. have decided to block their services entirely rather than adhere to the new regulations."
"Blocking 500 Million Users Is Easier Than Complying With Europe’s New Rules" - Bloomberg

As you’ve quoted Bloomberg, it doesn’t appear to have been a problem for them. Or for the WSJ, for that matter.

Perhaps you should consider which organisations you’re giving your personal data to, and the reasons why they don’t want to comply ;-)

[DaveB]

I agree that on 'day 1' after leaving the EU we get all the EU laws, warts'n'all.

However if on 'day 2' we decide that "the EU GDPR legislation is pants, let's ditch it" we'll be able to, no questions asked.
EU members such as Germany, France and Italy won't have that option.

Wont make any difference if we do.

If UK companies are processing EU citizen data they will have to comply anyway. All that will happen is that UK citizens will lose the rights they now have when non EU companies get hold of their data.

[sasguru]

FFS if you're really missing the "Lebanon Times" of Lebanon, US I'm sure you'll find a way to access it. Or you're a cretin.
The GDPR is generally a good idea in my book.