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Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

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Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#781
post #164
post #83

A lot of this seems to be coming due to US regulations that compel US registered companies to hand over data from subsidiaries in Europe markets if asked by US intelligence and law enforcement agencies. With these various data locality regulations, i wonder if a standard operating approach could be to split tech companies into 3 legal entities, a technology licensing company, a US registered operations company and a…

The EU part cannot be owned by the US entity since the US government can compel the US mother company to have it's subsidiary hand over data. In fact this is how most of the companies operate already to cheat on taxes. The way microsoft did it for a while here in Norway was to license azure cloud stuff to a sub operator (EVRY) that is completely insulated except for the licensing agreement.

> The EU part cannot be owned by the US entity since the US government can compel the US mother company to have it's subsidiary hand over data.

Is this true for ownership by individuals too?

If I, an American citizen & resident, owned and operated a company registered to a European nation to serve my European customers (with European hosting), does that make me compliant? Does an American solo founder have a path to compliance at all, or would I be required to collaborate with a completely separate workforce that has no ties to America?

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#782

I think we (in the EU) will soon realise the bizarre consequences of these regulations. European startups will not be able to use standard SaaS or PaaS tools (like AWS, Azure, Mailchimp, PayPal etc) if they are based in the US (like most of them are). No cloud services, no Office 365 or Google Workspace. It will take forever to build up a similar ecosystem in Europe and I think most successful European entrepreneurs…

The UK market for digital products won't stop existing just because a few UK entrepreneurs move to the US.

These regulations are the only way to dismantle US big tech monopolies. The US government won't do anything about it on its own accord because it's too profitable. Other countries need to neuter the influence of US big tech first. Then the US can police their own better to encourage intl competition if they want to.

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#783
post #733
post #699

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This completely misses the point, the laws shouldn't be written to accommodate businesses, its the other way around. If fragmenting is a consequence of better privacy laws, so be it.

Businesses exists for consumers. Fragmenting hurts people - European users - in the first place. I see very little advantages from these privacy laws but I use and appreciate US businesses every day.

What, you don't appreciate a pop-up on every web page telling you that cookies are going to be used? XD

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#784

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the contrary, it only forces those providers to have a European presence. We're not fragmenting the internet by looking after our own interests. This wouldn't be an issue if Americans viewed rights (and in this case privacy rights) as belonging to human being as opposed to Americans citizens. The US's policy is what led to this: > Agencies shall, to the extent consistent with applicable law, ensure that their priv…

You are absolutely fragmenting the internet. We had PII on Azure. We wanted to do business in France. We had to fork our services, and run a full stack on a crappy provider in France. They charged a lot more, would take weeks of vacation with zero support for us. It was a freaking nightmare. EDIT: I love the responses I'm getting. People are in absolute denial that this does in fact fragment the internet. You may bel…

désolé!

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#785

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That might be a good thing. New data centers would be constructed in France and the french people would have more jobs. It’d also be a national security boost because France would be less reliant on external data centre providers.

Wow, unironic protectionism and "it'll create jobs" rhetoric.

Not sure if you've been watching, but protectionism has become extremely popular.

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#786
post #777

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are absolutely fragmenting the internet. We had PII on Azure. We wanted to do business in France. We had to fork our services, and run a full stack on a crappy provider in France. They charged a lot more, would take weeks of vacation with zero support for us. It was a freaking nightmare. EDIT: I love the responses I'm getting. People are in absolute denial that this does in fact fragment the internet. You may bel…

> You are absolutely fragmenting the internet. It's not fragmenting the internet; fragmentation is the whole point of the internet. It's (re-)decentralizing something that has been decentralized the whole time, until these gluttonous whales decided try to eat the whole pie.

So a computer in France can not legally talk to a computer in the United States, but if I instead put that computer in France, I'm legally okay.

And you're convinced that embodies "the whole point of the internet"?

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#787

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All they need now is some sort of ISP level filter to make sure nobody loses their privacy to US servers. They could call it a "Great Firewall" maybe.

Protecting the privacy of citizens is not akin to society-wide censorship, a la China. This is a disingenuous argument.

And yet requires a similar solution.....

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#788
post #649

One thing I find super crazy is that, while making a big fuss about IP addresses and cookies, the EU forces any website owner to publicly share his full name, address and phone number on the site’s imprint. If you’re not a corporation or a professional who has an office address, you’ll have to supply your own personal data. Visible to anyone on the internet.

I believe that's a German law, nothing to do with the EU

True. But it’s also most often German courts that make headlines because a webmaster used a Google Font. I’d much rather have Google know my IP address than have some nutcase know where I live.

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#789
Amazing news. Practical consequences:

Huge opportunities for French tech entrepreneurs.

Huge opportunities for immigrant tech entrepreneurs to France.

Gets the ball rolling for other countries to implement this. And more advanced regulations.

Finally, once US big tech intl influence is on a steep decline, maybe, just maybe, Google will be policed by the US government.

Re: Use of Google Analytics declared illegal by French data protection authority

#790

Don't quite understand this at all. Can we cut through the clickbait and see what's wrong here. If my website askes users for their permission to use GA and they click yes then is that still illegal here? I see this as yes it's still illegal. Also is it illegal because there is an anonymised id number created when you send data. If that's the case then it's not just GA that's a problem but any tracking system i.e. Pl…

Utterly confused here half this thread is contractdicting the other half.
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