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How does the EU solution make user's whole? At least with class actions, users get to see a few pennies.

I'm not trying to make an argument against strong regulatory bodies. We need those for sure. It would just be nice if the users were compensated for the exploitation and abuse they're subjected to.



The US solution does not make users whole and does not meaningfully change anything.

The EU solution meaningfully changes the offending company's behavior. I would rather have significantly less breaches of my information than a check for $6 in the mail every couple months.


> The EU solution meaningfully changes the offending company's behavior.

Citation needed. I'd imagine they just add a tiny markup to their prices to pay the eventual fine instead of investing huge amounts of money into fixing their broken processes. Comparing the list of EU-issued fines against the respective companies' profits shows that they can simply afford to make those mistakes instead of preventing them.


> they just add a tiny markup to their prices to pay the eventual fine instead

Ironically, this counter-argument applies perfectly to the "US solution".

On the contrary, EU's huge fines have a better chance of being effective.


Stock holders generally frown upon multi-billion euro fines and may want a change in management.


And it's probably securities fraud ;)


>The EU solution meaningfully changes the offending company's behavior

How are those cookie consent popups working out?


Great, they meant better acting corporations have no click or single click (dismiss-able with simple add-ons to proactively affirm the user's position) ribbons to get get rid of unwanted cookies. Let's be realistic anyone who hates those banners and hasn't bothered to do the google search and 5 minute task to get rid of them permanently (either enabling or disabling consent) is not having their political opinion changed by them, they are using them as an excuse to buttress their position of government bad or corporations malicious.


It is a meaningful change, or you wouldn’t be talking about it.

Meaningful does not mean a solution.


The EU solution provides incentive for the government to attack large businesses with lawsuits. That’s predatory and will lead to large businesses trying to lobby the EU to go after their competitors.

That just seems dysfunctional.




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