Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

amazingcto.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 662 posts

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#31

Post by xxs »

tlb wrote: post #21

Part of what it means to be "good at regulation" is to anticipate the likely consequences of regulations. So a regulation that says that "businesses must now give away their products for free, unless they honk each customer's nose" will result in a lot of sore noses. Which is basically the case here. Almost all websites make money through ads, or at least keep logs of user activity to help them optimize their website…

I guess the confusion is about advertising and tracking - the banners are about tracking not advertising.

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#32

Post by vallassy »

piker wrote: post #4

Dumb take. “Just run your business with 10% of the revenue? What’s the problem?” Edit: to those downvoting, yea, it’s agreed that tracking is bad but the tone of the article completely ignores that a lot of the web’s content depends on this model so if it “just didn’t track” a large swath would no longer exist.

> if it “just didn’t track” a large swath would no longer exist.

You say this like it's a bad thing...

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#33

Post by SuperNinKenDo »

zpeti wrote: post #18
dTal wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your business is "doing sketchy shit with people's data", and the regulatory hammer just came down on you... well, yeah.

Come on, this is such a ridiculous take. Adding google adsense to a website needs a cookie bar. That’t not "doing sketchy shit with people's data" I can’t believe how many people have bought into this EU regulation hook line and sinker. It’s ridiculous, imagine the man hours that have been wasted in the last 7 years just clicking cookie bars. And as OP says, it’s completely unrealistic to not have them.

Using Google adsense absolutely meets the bar for doing sketchy shit with people's data.

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#34

Post by paulryanrogers »

gostsamo wrote: post #9
ianlevesque wrote: post #2

The funny thing about legislation is that you're responsible for the unintended consequences of your laws too.

No, people cannot escape responsibility by saying "the law made me be belligerent toward my users". It is intentional choice to use cookies and to make it unpleasant for people.

And use of cookies themswlves don't demand these banners, nor that they be so obstructive. Just don't collect unnecessary cookies or PII, or put in a prominent banner that doesn't overlap the site purpose.

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#35

Post by moomin »

SuperNinKenDo wrote: post #25
isodev wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean the EU should have foreseen that people in tech have no conscience and sensitivity for right or wrong?

To be fair, completely foreseeable.

Yeah, I’m not sure legislators should be on the hook for malicious compliance, though.

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#36

Post by ptero »

As a person who is generally suspicious of regulation on the grounds that it is an always growing beast (rules do not get revisited enough and rejected when they become an unneeded complexity), this viewpoint is spot on for me.

And while the main visible results today are bad (cookie banners of various levels of annoyance) it is bad mostly due to existing dark patterns and encourages changes in the right direction. Will those chances come and, if so, when, is to be seen. My 2c.

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#37

Post by dTal »

chgs wrote: post #28
zpeti wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come on, this is such a ridiculous take. Adding google adsense to a website needs a cookie bar. That’t not "doing sketchy shit with people's data" I can’t believe how many people have bought into this EU regulation hook line and sinker. It’s ridiculous, imagine the man hours that have been wasted in the last 7 years just clicking cookie bars. And as OP says, it’s completely unrealistic to not have them.

Google Adsense is doing sketchy shit with peoples data.

Indeed. Just because it is widespread doesn't make it okay. We should not allow greedy companies to set the Overton Window of acceptability.

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#38

Post by bheadmaster »

wildrhythms wrote: post #22
bheadmaster wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point of the legislations is to protect the citizens, not corporate income.

Sorry but have you been living under a rock for the past 100 years of neoliberal governing?

Please do not bring American two-party politics into this, especially in a way that has nothing to do with my comment and provides no insight or opinion beyond "liberals bad".

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#39

Post by poszlem »

nicce wrote: post #11
ianlevesque wrote: post #2

The funny thing about legislation is that you're responsible for the unintended consequences of your laws too.

In this case, it is just showing that most companies are collecting more data than they need. You don’t need a banner for the data that is necessary for the service to work at minimum level. There is no role for the consent since the site won’t work otherwise.

It also shows that most people don't care and just want to get on with their day. We know that companies are collecting more data. Now what?

Re: Dear Paul Graham, there is no cookie banner law

#40

Post by isodev »

tlb wrote: post #21

Part of what it means to be "good at regulation" is to anticipate the likely consequences of regulations. So a regulation that says that "businesses must now give away their products for free, unless they honk each customer's nose" will result in a lot of sore noses. Which is basically the case here. Almost all websites make money through ads, or at least keep logs of user activity to help them optimize their website…

> Almost all websites make money through ads

The EU regulation does not prevent ads from being shown, it specifically targets tracking. No tracking > no banner > everyone is happier > go ahead and show all the ads that are required.

Post reply on HN