Live data from Hacker News

TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

reuters.com

41–50 of 177 posts

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#41

As I click my 10,000th cookie modal to read this article, I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way, to which the answer is a resounding no. I understand the importance of it, but please prioritise revising its shortcomings rather than doubling down on being the most tech-hostile region in the developed world.

They are reworking the cookie law, it's just a complex piece of legislation. They are aware of its shortcomings, and want to tackle them through an enforced browser setting. https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/proposal-epriv...

> This will ensure that these popular services (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Skype) guarantee the same level of confidentiality of communications as traditional telecoms operators.

Sounds very ominous, don't law enforcement agencies have access to the "traditional telecoms operators" data?

On topic, a Do-Not-Track header setting that automatically opts-out of everything and the new "legitimate interest" trend, would be awesome.

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#42

As I click my 10,000th cookie modal to read this article, I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way, to which the answer is a resounding no. I understand the importance of it, but please prioritise revising its shortcomings rather than doubling down on being the most tech-hostile region in the developed world.

At least, now you know. Companies can choose better user experience if they want. What's your opinion about Apple vs Facebook?

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#43

I have always promised myself that if I become a billionare, I will simply stop providing services to municipalities or countries that create arbitrary laws that make it hard or difficult to do business in. Honestly Google should have just boycotted Europe for a week and seen how well everyone handles not having gmail, google, or anything. California is particularly onerous about all sorts of stuff like labelling eve…

Don't let the door hit you on your way out.

Sincerely, EU citizen

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#44

As I click my 10,000th cookie modal to read this article, I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way, to which the answer is a resounding no. I understand the importance of it, but please prioritise revising its shortcomings rather than doubling down on being the most tech-hostile region in the developed world.

The problem isn't the legislation but its lack of enforcement. The legislation itself explicitly prohibits annoying/misleading consent prompts.

> The legislation itself explicitly prohibits annoying/misleading consent prompts.

What does a non-annoying prompt look like?

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#45

As I click my 10,000th cookie modal to read this article, I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way, to which the answer is a resounding no. I understand the importance of it, but please prioritise revising its shortcomings rather than doubling down on being the most tech-hostile region in the developed world.

> I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way, to which the answer is a resounding no.

I actually find myself digging into the settings that are offered to click on "Reject All" where possible. I wish my region had the same data protections :-/

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#46

I have always promised myself that if I become a billionare, I will simply stop providing services to municipalities or countries that create arbitrary laws that make it hard or difficult to do business in. Honestly Google should have just boycotted Europe for a week and seen how well everyone handles not having gmail, google, or anything. California is particularly onerous about all sorts of stuff like labelling eve…

> the law was legally unclear

That's a feature! Gives more power to the bureaucrats (fully paid by the taxpayer and with large retirements) to enforce legislation as they please!

More fine for these large companies means an ever increasing numbers of bureaucrats to investigates arbitrary violations!

If you can't innovate, time to regulate!

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#47

I have always promised myself that if I become a billionare, I will simply stop providing services to municipalities or countries that create arbitrary laws that make it hard or difficult to do business in. Honestly Google should have just boycotted Europe for a week and seen how well everyone handles not having gmail, google, or anything. California is particularly onerous about all sorts of stuff like labelling eve…

> Honestly Google should have just boycotted Europe for a week and seen how well everyone handles not having gmail, google, or anything. I think the EU would have loved that. There are perfectly viable alternatives to pretty much everything that Google offers, some of which created in Europe. They just never gain any traction because it's convenient to just use Google for everything. I still use Gmail and Google Cale…

> I think the EU would have loved that.

"The EU" entirely depended on Google not doing that. And by that I mean the bureaucracy and other apparatjik - not the people.

Had Google literally banned Europe the backlash would be large, large, large against 'the EU' from people who live there and were trying to live and do their day to day online activities.

Yeah, it'd be Evil, but sometimes companies should really swing back at heavy handed regulations.

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#48

As I click my 10,000th cookie modal to read this article, I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way, to which the answer is a resounding no. I understand the importance of it, but please prioritise revising its shortcomings rather than doubling down on being the most tech-hostile region in the developed world.

Get the Sticky Ducky add-on[0] for hiding fixed overlays, and add Fanboy's Cookiemonster list[1] to your adblocker of choice.

[0]: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sticky-ducky/

[1]: https://github.com/ryanbr/fanboy-adblock/blob/master/fanboy-...

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#49

As I click my 10,000th cookie modal to read this article, I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way, to which the answer is a resounding no. I understand the importance of it, but please prioritise revising its shortcomings rather than doubling down on being the most tech-hostile region in the developed world.

> I am forced to ask if this legislation has made my web experience better in any way

Yeah, and women's suffrage caused longer lines at the polls because more people vote so you would have to wait longer. It's not about the experience, it's about your rights.

Re: TikTok hit with consumer law breaches complaints across Europe

#50
post #14

I have always promised myself that if I become a billionare, I will simply stop providing services to municipalities or countries that create arbitrary laws that make it hard or difficult to do business in. Honestly Google should have just boycotted Europe for a week and seen how well everyone handles not having gmail, google, or anything. California is particularly onerous about all sorts of stuff like labelling eve…

I'd love for Google to give the EU a solid reason to encourage homegrown (and tax-paying) alternatives to big US tech (much like China has managed to do with Baidu, WeChat and Alibaba). Breaking big tech monopolies is hard, so I can only pray for them to get the ball rolling with a massive mistake like that.

> I'd love for Google to give the EU a solid reason to encourage homegrown (and tax-paying) alternatives to big US tech

Big tech pays it's taxes in Europe, via Luxemburg and Ireland in a 100% legal way. If Europeans countries are serious about collecting tax revenues they claim should be theirs, all they have to do is simply write it in the tax code.

If Europe wants to compete, the first thing it has to do is fix it's talent retention problem. Build more and pay more.

Easy to whine about these "evil foreign tech giants", harder to tackle the real issues! Will paying coders more get bureaucrats re-elected? Will going after large corporations using the same laws as the tech giants help them getting re-elected?

Post reply on HN