Just when you thought the emails would stop, things may have taken a turn for the worse. GDPR has arrived with some unforeseen consequences, including US news sites blocking access and companies suspending service.
Since the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect on Friday, internet users in the bloc have had to deal with unforeseen consequences, including US newspapers blocking access and some companies suspending support for their products.
The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Orlando Sentinel – all newspapers owned by Tronc media company – displayed messages saying their websites are "currently unavailable in most European countries."
"We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market," said the Los Angeles Times on its website.
Tronc-owned newspapers in the US shut down access to people in the EUImage: www.tronc.com
Instapaper, a bookmarking service owned by Pinterest, suspended its service to European clients as it makes "changes in light of GDPR." But that's not the only fallout.
Social media users have criticized companies for sending emails about their privacy policy updates, only to forget to hide the mailing list and effectively end up sharing scores of email addresses.
A Twitter user described it as "doomsday."
'Forced consent'
Aside from the issues that have plagued GDPR's first day, rights groups have also signaled that companies could be held responsible for poor adherence and questionable practices.
Noyb, a digital rights group based in Austria, announced on Friday that it filed four complaints against Google's Android application, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram for "forced consent."
The group said that instead of making users feel free to make a decision on a service's privacy policy, "the opposite feeling spread on the screens" of users.
"Tons of 'consent boxes' popped up online or in applications, often combined with a threat that the service cannot … be used if users do not consent."
Max Schrems, a lawyer and chairman of Noyb, said Facebook's actions reminded him of "North Korean election process."
"In the end, users only had the choice to delete the account or hit the 'agree' button – that's not a free choice," said Schrems.
Fighting for the internet: Social media, governments and tech companies
Germany has passed a new law on social media in 2017, despite complaints from social media companies worried about the impact on their business. But how far is too far? DW examines the trends.
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Free speech or illegal content?
Whether hate speech, propaganda or activism, governments across the globe have upped efforts to curb content deemed illegal from circulating on social networks. From drawn-out court cases to blanket bans, DW examines how some countries try to stop the circulation of illicit content while others attempt to regulate social media.
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Social media law
After a public debate in Germany, a new law on social media came into effect in October. The legislation imposes heavy fines on social media companies, such as Facebook, for failing to take down posts containing hate speech. Facebook and other social media companies have complained about the law, saying that harsh rules might lead to unnecessary censorship.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Hase
Right to be forgotten
In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that European citizens had the right to request search engines, such as Google and Bing, remove "inaccurate, inadequate, irrelevant or excessive" search results linked to their name. Although Google has complied with the ruling, it has done so reluctantly, warning that it could make the internet as "free as the world's least free place."
Image: picture-alliance/ROPI/Eidon/Scavuzzo
Blanket ban
In May 2017, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russian social media platforms and web services. The blanket ban affected millions of Ukrainian citizens, many of whom were anxious about their data. The move prompted young Ukrainians to protest on the streets, calling for the government to reinstate access to platforms that included VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest social network.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/Str
Safe Harbor
In 2015, the European Court of Justice ruled that Safe Harbor, a 15-year-old pact between the US and EU that allowed the transfer of personal data without prior approval, was effectively invalid. Austrian law student Max Schrems launched the legal proceedings against Facebook in response to revelations made by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, Edward Snowden.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Warnand
Regulation
In China, the use of social media is highly regulated by the government. Beijing has effectively blocked access to thousands of websites and platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Instead, China offers its citizens access to local social media platforms, such as Weibo and WeChat, which boast hundreds of millions of monthly users.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Imaginechina/Da Qing
Twitter bans Russia-linked accounts
Many politicians and media outlets blame Russia's influence for Donald Trump's election victory in 2016. Moscow reportedly used Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Instagram to shape public opinion on key issues. In October 2017, Twitter suspended over 2,750 accounts due to alleged Russian propaganda. The platform also banned ads from RT (formerly Russia Today) and the Sputnik news agency.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Rourke
Facebook announces propaganda-linked tool
With social media under pressure for allowing alleged Russian meddling, Facebook announced a new project to combat such efforts in November 2017. The upcoming page will give users a chance to check if they "liked" or followed an alleged propaganda account on Facebook or Instagram. Meanwhile, Facebook has come under fire for not protecting user data in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
