alt Hacker NewsThe GDPR is vague and unworkable as written. It fundamentally restricts all data processing with a few, vague exceptions.
What is data processing essential for the services being provided? Many publishers assumed that getting paid was an essential part of providing a service, and it was not until 3 months before the implementation deadline that the committee clarified that getting paid is not included when you are being paid by a third party.
How are you to know whether or not the user is an EU citizen (and thus subject to the GDPR)? Is making that determination a service essential for providing your service? The answers apparently were "You don't" and "No", which would effectively make companies assume that the GDPR applies to everyone on the planet.
The GDPR also is fundamentally opposed to how things currently work in the internet, making almost all advertising on the web illegal overnight. It was too big of a change to happen at once, so it effectively only loosely enforced in practice.
I like the idea of the GDPR, but the implementation sucks.
> The GDPR is vague and unworkable as written. It fundamentally restricts all data processing with a few, vague exceptions.
What utter utter FUD
You are free to collect as much personal data as you want, PROVIDING you have my explicit opt-in informed consent to do so.
What about this is difficult to understand?
> How are you to know whether or not the user is an EU citizen (and thus subject to the GDPR)?
The GDPR provides _basic_ data safety and consumer protection. If you aren't protecting users private data regardless of where they live in line with GDPR principles (such as collecting it fairly, and not selling it to randoms) then you are playing fast and loose with your users private, sensitive data. In which case you need to _seriously_ consider if what you are doing is ethical.
> The GDPR also is fundamentally opposed to how things currently work in the internet, making almost all advertising on the web illegal overnight.
Utter Bullshit!
You are free to advertise as much as you like! But if you want to track me with your advertising (hello scummy adtech industry) then you need my explicit informed consent to do so. And so you should!
Again, what about this is difficult to understand?