it's a great time to be into data protection law
As you might know, I am in the middle of a law degree, I personally focus on data protection law and in April I will start a course to earn the certificate to call myself a data protection officer - something the GDPR, depending on a few factors, requires many employers to have.
I just think it's also such a beautiful time to be into that and maybe you should, too. Social media giants continue to be a pain in the ass, and the challenges around AI keep growing. The GDPR and additional AI regulations are one possible option to reign that stuff in, at least here. In the past, the EU has already held Apple, Google and Meta accountable for a few things and imposed fines and changes, and I feel good about that.
You know it's effective when the tech oligarchy kisses the ring and whines to their new darling about it, and he in turn whines about it. Offer your products here and comply or you're out, bastard - know this from somewhere, perhaps? The TikTok thing, maybe? Oh, so we are all to make exceptions because a product is American? It's hypocritical.
Even more so when you realize it could be so, so much worse for American social media here. They're lucky the EU doesn't fully go to the letter of the law because they're addicted as well they care about free access and their citizen's wishes and a ban is a last resort.
What I mean is: The EU-US Safe harbour failed. Privacy Shield failed. And for good reason! US mass surveillance is proven to be too strong and widespread to comply with EU data protection laws and in 2017, the current clown himself signed an executive order that (the little amount of) U.S. privacy protections will not be extended beyond US citizens or residents. While that was repealed by Biden, I don't expect this second rodeo to be any different.
The newest adequacy decision from 2022 (which are needed based on Art. 45 of the GDPR to do business with that country that requires transfer of personal data) is the EU–US Data Privacy Framework that is also completely lacking - still not properly enforcing EU digital human rights on US-EU data transfer, basically giving these companies much more of a pass than it should. While it is still intact and the basis for how social media giants still operate here, it's not considered to protect EU citizens well, so if the EU was really after enforcement, there should not even be a basis to make business on for Meta and others until an agreement is reached that would have widespread consequences for these companies and US surveillance at large. And I wonder how long it'll last anyway; Biden signed the implementation of the framework in 2022, but I wouldn't put it past the current administration to undo that, too, together with the completely suspicious, secretive court it erected for it.
It's just too good to see them cry about it, knowing there is already soooo much leniency. Ah, if only the EU wasn't too afraid to pull some punches... the US is really out there trying to force entire sales but whining about fines.
Reply via email
Published 24 Jan, 2025