Happy GDPR Day...

Friday, May 25, 2018 by sViz | Discussion: Internet

...or is it? I find it fascinating. I'm curious what everyone thinks the effects (versus the intent) of the law will be on independent content creation on the internet (versus content consumption). 

 

 

sViz
Reply #1 Friday, May 25, 2018 9:20 PM

Of course it all depends on how the law is used and enforced. A couple of US based news sites opted to no longer be viewable in the EU because the companies apparently couldn't comply in time (though they had 2 years.) I doubt this will become more widespread, unless, again, complaints are filed and the law is enforced. 

I've seen the opinion expressed that the law will hurt smaller entities more than the obvious targets which are the big corporations Hoovering up all our data. I tend to agree. They have the resources to stay ahead of, comply, and influence laws that smaller entities do not. 

Specifically, I think independent content creators--individuals looking to monetize their content, most of all--could be stratified even lower in the internet's marketplace of ideas. Remaining independent simply costs more man-hours and money to remain compliant (to say nothing of responding to requests to pull/remove/rectify personal data), than it would to adopt an agency of some sort who can take care of all that for you, whether it is a publishing platform you don't own or control, or contributing to an actual publisher who ends up owning your content.

Also, it strikes me that free models for publishing platforms whose main source of revenue isn't selling data (think WordPress.com not Twitter) may become unfeasible. Ad revenues probably wouldn't be enough to offset it, either, as evidenced by all the major news sites that have moved to a subscription/read-limit model. 

(eta: Actually, it quite reminds me of the whole weather widget fiasco, and then the explosion and stratification of the widgets/apps market.)

I could go on. The upside is that people (explicitly EU residents, I believe) gain new rights and control over whom, if anyone, has their data. I am not totally convinced of the practicalities of people exercising these rights, or that this will curtail the behaviors of the Big Data companies which brought this all about.

But at least your inbox should be quieter now. 

teddybearcholla
Reply #2 Saturday, May 26, 2018 7:48 AM

Interesting.  Opinions anyone?  Will the US follow suit?   

sViz
Reply #3 Saturday, May 26, 2018 9:14 PM

Good question. Strict, enforceable regulations are a tough sell in U.S. government. California seems to be trying to put something to a vote this November, but I don't see it happening at the federal level, despite all the hubbub around Zuckerberg's testimony. 

 

 

Gaspershooters
Reply #4 Saturday, May 26, 2018 10:10 PM

Yes,it's bothersome for small entities,yet known what Facebook has garnered all these years,I could not mind that it will be enforced at anywhere.

Elektrikeren
Reply #5 Thursday, May 31, 2018 10:11 AM

Don't know if the US will follow but some of the big international websites definitely have to. Some of the big news sites have temporarily blocked visitors from EU countries because of GDPR.

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