Italian watchdog bans use of Google Analytics

There's a difference between the way French and Germans write laws and the way we write them in the UK; I prefer the UK style, which leaves less room for interpretation.

> basically every small business in the EU is in violation right now

Only if they're handling personal data. Most small businesses don't.

Sure, if your business is collecting personal data, then GDPR is a problem for you; in the same way as the Road Traffic Act is a problem if you're determined to drive uninsured. If you want to sail close to the wind, then it's probably wise to lawyer-up.

And, of course, you don't have to use AWS.

> And it's bureaucratic assholery that keeps this deliberately inconsistent

That's not how I read it. The way I read it, GDPR is astonishingly lenient. Before they prosecute, they'll warn you; provide advice on how to come into compliance; and give you time to do it.

> choosing arbitrary standards

If GA involves depositing personal data in US jurisdiction, then you can't use GA in a GDPR jurisdiction. That's not vague or arbitrary. It may be - um - bold; But this law was flagged up years before it came into force. It's not as if the law came out of nowhere, and suddenly everyone's in violation.

> Its ridiculous and bad for their own economies.

Others have argued that GDPR is an attempt by the EU to steal Silicon Valley's breakfast, implying that it's good for European economies.

> unelected bureaucrats

Does the American elect the IRS or the FTC bureaucrat?

If I run an export business from my own country, the only law I need to comply with are the export laws of my own country. It's the duty of whoever is buying it on the other end to make sure they are allowed to import and possess the goods.

The EU does not own the right to use languages. I can use German if I choose without ceeding an inch of soverignty to the EU.

The EU does not control what data I collect when running my website. I might be required by my home jurisdiction to collect details on controlled export goods, and I might be required not to tell the user.

The EU controls the Euro currency, but they cannot make it illegal to me to use it, or attach special conditions to its use. They could convince my own government to sanction me, or aid them in sanctioning me, but that would be my own government affecting me, not the EU.

Your countries laws stop at its borders. Stop trying to control other people who have no say or vote in the laws. It's anti-democratic.

Interesting way of saying they are bad laws. If you cannot, as a business have certainty in your prediction of the regulatory environment, you're pretty fucked. I wouldn't expect a piece of the bureaucratic establishment such as yourself to understand the struggles of setting up and running a business. What was your role as DPO again? An ornamental peace offering to the burdens imposed by regulation? Not all businesses have the luxury of throwing money at legal resources.

> Only if they're handling personal data. Most small businesses don't.Sure, if your business is collecting personal data, then GDPR is a problem for you; in the same way as the Road Traffic Act is a problem if you're determined to drive uninsured. If you want to sail close to the wind, then it's probably wise to lawyer-up.

It must take a special kind of asshole to say this. In just another one of your recent comments here you mention that even the mere presence of an IP address that ISNT EVEN STORED would put a business in violation and liable to large fines. So you pretty much agree that all small businesses are in violation if they use AWS in any reasonable way to run their business but you don't want to say it explicitly here since it makes you look bad. Gotcha.

> And, of course, you don't have to use AWS.

And of course, the European people elected you their lord and savior to tell businesses which tech stacks they pick and choose because of your interpretation of arbitrary laws. See the problem here yet?

> That's not how I read it. The way I read it, GDPR is astonishingly lenient.

Is it? So why did other member states of the EU take offense at the decision of the Irish DPA ? The one stop provision clearly stipulates that the onus of enforcement falls to the one stop shop and instead, the arbitrary nature of the law as it stands, other member states and bureaucrats in Brussels seem to deem it necessary to impose their will and personal vendettas against the perceived soft touch approach of an entity fully within their rights to do so.

> If GA involves depositing personal data in US jurisdiction, then you can't use GA in a GDPR jurisdiction

Has there been any warnings against AliCloud for instance? Or all the analytics bundles shipped in Huawei phones?

I can't seem to recall any press release or webpage dedicated to a single company like the CNIL and now Italian authorities have adopted towards Google Analytics?

Is there any oversight to these agencies allowed where these decisions are up to public scrutiny such as the FOIA act in the US to assure the public that these highly paid public officials are not wasting all their time and money chasing personal vendettas as seems to be the case here? Of course fucking not.

Is Google Analytics perfect? Maybe not. But this is the crucial point . . THE LEGISLATURE CANNOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST A SINGLE ENTITY THIS WAY. While turning a blind eye to practices by Huawei and other companies, it is simply against the rule of law.

> Others have argued that GDPR is an attempt by the EU to steal Silicon Valley's breakfast, implying that it's good for European economies.

A weasel through and through. What else did i expect from someone in your position?

So, illegal abuse of power by Government to target a company is fine by you, Mr. DPO ?