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Goodbye Instagram and Facebook - EU has gone crazy
Ireland’s data authority informs its EU counterparts that it will block Meta from sending user data to the US.
However, the EU and the US are in the process of negotiating a new framework agreement that will make it possible for Meta, for example, to transfer data from Europe to the US in a way that satisfies the much stricter European authorities.
But if this doesn't happen or happens fast enough, there will be no Instagram or Facebook in the EU countries.
EU has gone crazy.
source:
https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-faces-facebook-blackout-instagram-meta-data-protection/
Comments
Much needed 😀
One less surveillance and spying service. Isn’t it a good thing?
Good.
You must be American.
The same privacy laws apply to all companies.
Is it also a good thing when they start blocking foreign hosting providers and other companies with services in the EU?
Well that would suck if they extend to all services. Facebook cancer on the other hand, much needed.
That's really not the point. The point is freedom. Some people like facebook cancer-- shouldn't it be the people's choice whether they can use facebook or not?
All the EU is missing right now is the Great Firewall. Maybe they can arrange an agreement with China.
This is an absolute win.
The majority of privacy laws in the USA are absolutely toothless, extremely invasive, and kowtow to big business.
https://iapp.org/resources/article/us-state-privacy-legislation-tracker/
we will use Tinder instead 🤣
Everything is fun and games until providers here on LET not based in the EU find themselves locked out of the region. I'm sure the Eurobros would be here to cheer that consequence, as well.
Good luck on that. May get California to do it but US as a whole couldn't come together to agree on lunch.
other countries should follow this and stop allowing USA companies to have private data of citizens of other countries
USA has banned ( in process of banning) many Chinese companies like huawei or tiktok almost arbitrarily ( privacy concerns lol ) . Other countries should follow the same of banning USA companies violating users privacy .
Good call EU
if it is a trash provider like meta who spies on clients, collects their data for ads, and maybe even sell it, or use it accros its services, then yeah. May that provider go to hell as well or be blocked.
+1
I am not Sure I see EU people here complaining about it, I think EU people are happy to see they are going to have some privacy. If you are a non-EU person, then 1. it does not concern you, so why are u comlaining? 2. I don't see you complaining about US banning Huawei because they make better value phones compared to most trash made by American brands.
See my previous comment, Why would a provider be banned in Europe unless they are doing something nasty?
they did not just went crazy but gone sane
fb/insta/meta is actually the only reason why "modern" web is shitty af
Because all the providers based outside the EU are actually shipping your personal information (which includes IP addresses, your name and email etc.) outside it and making it potentially available for those countries' law enforcement to snoop on.
If you haven't been paying attention to the relevant cases in the EU, including the GDPR rulings against Google Analytics and the whole Max Schrems saga, this is the very point by way of which various US services have been ruled as being illegal.
Which means if you reported providers around here, I'm absolutely sure their businesses would be legally required to prevent all EU customers from signing up, and pay the required fines.
It's just some visible leverage for some hidden negociation ...
@stevewatson301
I see where you coming from, but IMHO you're over-reacting/overly afraid for no reason.
When you are the size of META/FB every one/gov will want a piece of you. (just the same way US gov did with marc, EU may do it :thinking: ) + as others said, these platforms, do provide a risk, due to the amount of data and its accuracy, hell FB even have some people's ID they required for verification purposes my ass!
Hope tiktok will follow, Should I start giving the amount of dead people due to trashy insta/tikshit challenges?
if you didn't pay for the product you are the product, you don't pay to use facebook, you should really think where they get their money from. Simply, they are selling you (directly and indirectly).
On the other side, my * insert US host here* BuyVM/data-idea, or whatever account, is
1- not as huge as threat like FB (number of people + accuracy of data, etc)
2- less chances you are being sold when you are already paying them.
3- Meta has a bad history which is why eyes are on it. My 100 clients US hosting providers, does not have bad history
See
Someone like Rob monster for example, has a bad history as well, of not giving 2 fucks about user privacy, so I would understand if that unassuming irresponsible asshole gets the same treatment and I wouldn't even complain if they ban him and his services from EU. I would not vote for it, but I would understand it.
Someone like buyVM, incognet, etc 0 reasons to ban them in EU. They are playing fair and clean .
I am not overreacting. The fact that you pay for these services or you think they're clean are not legally valid reasons, and there is no small-company exemption in GDPR. It implies US hosts are on legally shaky ground where they're just doing business based on the fact that they've not been sued yet.
Remember this isn't a case-by-case "ban." It's a formal enforcement of the existing laws with a court ruling asking them to stop doing all business in the EU.
EU should have their own social media platform long time ago, along with many other technology company. EU people should never let US based company take control every aspect of their lives.
and US think:
logic!
The only reason I keep a facebook is so one day I can sell my custom handle
yes, yes... I know you are talking "on paper", "legally" and "in theory", but I am just saying in reality, nothing will happen. I know that.
I bet 2$ buyVM for example will never be banned in EU as long as they remain clean.
And honestly, if Europeans don't want their data to go the US, it is their right. I see you are comparing EU to china, only difference is, Chinese were forced for it and never asked for the great firewall. Europeans, they are asking for it.
Overall, the world sucks anyway, humans are dumb and all countries are trash, some are less trash than others, (being less trash =/=> good) so I kind of grab my popcorn and just watch the shit we do to ourselves.
If you are not from EU, then stop shouting, come sit next to me and watch, (I will share my popcorn with you
)
Which, of course, is the whole point of the law. It's not about the users: it's about rent-seeking EU companies.
If European users really cared that much about where their data is stored, someone could get rich making a service that transparently stored data there. They don't. Just as a lot of Americans go ahead and use TikTok, even though we probably shouldn't.
Some US companies still have enough balls to resist government surveillance. I mean, not AT&T. But some companies. So, yes, depending.
The only reason I use Facebook is because I'm old and most of my friends are there. 😆
Facebook and Instagram are already banned in Russia. Moreover, you can be fined or even arrested if you show their icons on the site. These companies are called companies that support "extremism" and "terrorism": they have not blocked extremist (according to local authorities) material for visitors from Russia.
In fact, many Russian laws simply copy U.S. or EU laws that have been copied. We are talking, for example, about the Patriot Act and GDPR.
Also Twitter and some other big American companies are in danger of being banned here because they have not localized Russian users' personal data in Russia.
I think this is a trend that will spread around the world. The Türkiye has blocked many sites over the years, don't forget China, India and many other countries.
The Internet was a place of free speech only at the beginning of the 21st century.
To be fair... They're banned for completely different reasons than what's being discussed here.
This has nothing to do with free speech.
This is the EU protecting EU citizens' data with privacy laws. Meta has ignored these laws and that is the reason they might get blocked.
If Meta creates a company in the EU, and stores all data related to EU citizens in the EU they are free to run their websites almost as today. But it will cost Meta a lot of money and they will have to pay more tax in the EU than they do today.
And nobody in the EU is going to get in trouble because they link to, or use Facebook and Instagram.
The EU and Russia are nothing alike.
We have free speech and consumer protection in the EU.
That's good to hear. I don't really agree with you, but that would take us too far off topic.
In fact, consumer protection was the first level for which Google was fined a lot of rubles (if I'm not mistaken - 1 billion) because it did not localize user data in Russia.
I don't know about Facebook and Instagram, but it seems they were also fined, but by a much smaller amount for the same reason.