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GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

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Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#161
post #53

I keep seeing these posts on how to block European users to avoid the GDPR. As a citizen of Europe, seeing these posts consistently making it to the front page is disappointing. It would seem that Silicon Valley perceives the GDPR as more of a hindrance than an opportunity to offer users better privacy. Nothing has been learned.

It's not about privacy, its about poorly written regulation that leaves too much vagueness because its based on principles rather than hard rules. Good intentions are not enough, there must be clear paths to implementation and verification. Perhaps that should've been fixed instead of wondering why so many companies don't really want to deal with it.

It will also do just about nothing in regards to the major companies that everyone had such a big privacy issue with in the first place, so not only is the regulation vague but it's also ultimately very ineffective.

Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#162

How this checks if a user is European when using US VPN or being on holidays outside EU?

It doesn't. It just checks that somebody is connecting from an IP address geolocated in Europe. I tried to be sarcastic, but I think my English is not good enough :-)

I'm a native English speaker and I picked up on your sarcasm. You did great :-)

That said, a constant source of miscommunication from native english to native english that is written, is missing sarcasm. Just a side effect of not having non-verbal communication cues.

Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GDPR has effects way beyond better user privacy. Sorry I've been pasting this in multiple GDPR related threads, but here it goes: I have a profitable, bootstrapped SaaS business based in US. It's not based on ads or selling data. I don't even have a freemium plan. Only a limited free trial after which you have to start paying. It's a trivial application that stores mostly already public data. Only email is required t…

The loudest GDPR advocates don’t care about you. 90 years ago they would have been the ones helping collectivize the farms, unintended consequences be damned. And this law’s effects are all about the unintended consequences. Anyone thinking government regulators are reasonable and benevolent has never dealt with said regulators beyond any trivial level. To make it more fun each member country handles enforcement, so…

> 90 years ago they would have been the ones helping collectivize the farms

This is possibly the strangest comment I've seen about this whole ordeal.

Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#164
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many European companies deal with US health data (HIPAA)?

If it worked the same as GDPR, I could start forcing them all to just by emailing them my health records.

Why do you keep trying so hard to demonstrate how ignorant you are?

Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#166
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious as to how many European companies comply with SOX, HIPAA, or COPPA just for the opportunity of making security/privacy compliance better?

How many European companies deal with US health data (HIPAA)?

I am a US citizen who, until last week lived in France. I wasn’t protected by HIPAA in Europe. Interestingly, HIPAA is stronger than the protections provided by U.K. law. For example, practitioners in the U.K. actually use Skype for mental health consultations — which would be a huge HIPAA violation in the US.

Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a company does not understand GDPR it's fair to say I don't want them handling my personal data. And it's not like this is new, there was a 2 year period to prepare for this. "Most startups will fail": I do not see that happening. You will first receive a warning. The EU won't really care if you are a tiny startup. Unless you are running a shady business, there's not much to worry about.

The challenge is absolutely not technical, so 2 years makes no difference. The challenge is that GDPR is essentially impossible to comply 100% with, and absolutely impossible to comply without incurring extra costs. GDPR is the PCI of the privacy world, 99% of companies will be non compliant if audited, but 99% of companies wont be audited. The difference is unlike PCI anyone can launch claims against companies, incl…

> political reasons like a eurocrat taking a disliking to a particular company

Are you just making this stuff up, or has this actually happened?

Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#168

Since there are IP addresses collected and sent to third parties without consent, it violates the GDPR.

By that logic, doesn't the entire Internet fundamentally violate GDPR?

Hope ICANN has 10 million euros.

Re: GDPR for lazy people: Block all European users with Cloudflare Workers

#170
post #53

I keep seeing these posts on how to block European users to avoid the GDPR. As a citizen of Europe, seeing these posts consistently making it to the front page is disappointing. It would seem that Silicon Valley perceives the GDPR as more of a hindrance than an opportunity to offer users better privacy. Nothing has been learned.

Consider this case, startup app in a niche market, only available on US app stores, and a one man dev team that needs to focus on app dev not compliance for some regulation that could never apply to their customers. Yet needs to be sure they don’t end up giving the company to the EU because someone over there signs up on a marketing list. That’s the startup I’m presently working on. We’ll expand beyond the US borders…

> _NOTE: we delete all client data when they cancel already. And we don’t do any creepy marketing_

So what's there to worry about? Sounds like you're well on your way to being compliant

If anything, this allows you to be transparent with your users too.

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