Earlier quoted context omitted.
GDPR compliance is expensive; every account not in the regime saves Google costs.
I can tell you that two FAANGs implement GDPR compliance for everyone because they didn’t want to risk getting a user’s EU status wrong.
Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
61–70 of 85 posts
Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
It seems very early to be making changes like this. Google must really benefit somehow from the change, otherwise they could leave it until much later in the year, and see what (if any) changes Parliament makes to privacy and data protection law in the UK.
In what way is it early? UK left the European Union late last year. Since then there only is a temporary agreement in place, with a deadline later this year. Given the seemingly strength of the Prime Minister (see recent cabinet reshuffling) and his unwillingness to extend companies doing business in Britain have to prepare.
Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#63I imagine a future where the workers are on the Irish side of the border but the servers are on the UK side of the border. One still enjoys the tax advantages of the value being added on the Irish side, but also the relatively lax data requirements on the British side. I am not pro or con anything, just pointing out the arb.
Britain already adopted GDPR-based data protection law. If anything, Brexit will tighten the situation by requiring the data of British to stay in Britain.
Equally - I'd say costs may well play out more and what is the cost to host in Ireland compared to hosting in the USA?
Even when we are talking pennies/cents in difference - at the scale of Google - that soon adds up and if they can, they will.
Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#64The optics of this might look bad, but I cannot really fault Google for this move (and I frequently fault Google). They're facing a dilemma of regulatory uncertainty, and this move resolves this dilemma for them (at least, they seem to believe that). Anyone who has ever dealt with powerful regulatory agencies will probably agree that this resolution is the right move for the company, a move important enough that eati…
How much does hosting per account in Ireland compare to USA hosting?
Even if a few pennies/cents, at google's scale - that makes business sense and if they can, they will.
Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
Pro-Brexiteers have often cited stronger bilateral ties, such as those with the US, as an advantage of Brexit. And of course, post-Brexit, Britain will be ever more reliant on the willingness of countries such as the US to cut deals with them. As an independent negotiator in these new deals, Britain will have less power to push back over silly things like data privacy; and as a member of Five Eyes anyway, they're all…
The recent Huawei 5G drama does seem to go against the grain of this. After all, if the UK had less power to push back, then clearly nobody has told them.
Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
That sounds really interesting. Would you mind sharing a resource to learn more about how the UK spies on US citizens?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKUSA_Agreement
1. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1153691...
Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#67The optics of this might look bad, but I cannot really fault Google for this move (and I frequently fault Google). They're facing a dilemma of regulatory uncertainty, and this move resolves this dilemma for them (at least, they seem to believe that). Anyone who has ever dealt with powerful regulatory agencies will probably agree that this resolution is the right move for the company, a move important enough that eati…
Might be down to costs. How much does hosting per account in Ireland compare to USA hosting? Even if a few pennies/cents, at google's scale - that makes business sense and if they can, they will.
Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#68Re: Google plans to move UK users' accounts outside EU jurisdiction
#69The optics of this might look bad, but I cannot really fault Google for this move (and I frequently fault Google). They're facing a dilemma of regulatory uncertainty, and this move resolves this dilemma for them (at least, they seem to believe that). Anyone who has ever dealt with powerful regulatory agencies will probably agree that this resolution is the right move for the company, a move important enough that eati…