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Comment by politician | Hacker News Reader

> I'm saying that startups should have the right to engineer their platforms in the way that they see fit.

We don't let people build homes or other buildings as they see fit because over time we've realized that the failure of one building can adversely affect the neighborhood.

We don't let businesses handle their financials in any way they see fit because over time we've realized that using a generally accepted set of accounting principles helps avoid cascading financial disasters.

Now, honestly, how can you say with a straight face that we should let businesses manage data in any way they see fit because it's "their platform"?

Nonsense, we have an obligation to regulate how data is collected, processed, and used or sold to protect society against the adverse effects of data that is used to abuse.

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Only public companies are required to respect GAAP, and they choose to do so because they want access to a regulated market.

Is a building on Pluto subject to the same building codes? If my server spontaneously combusts, should I warn those with IPs near mine that theirs may catch fire?

You have no obligation to visit my web service, enter data into it, or interact with it. It takes up no space, and you have no "passing" interactions with it.

The contention is that others should not be allowed to use my web service, unless it provides you certain features.

I'm believe we should support privacy on the web, but this is not the way to do it.

Well, remember, what is actually happening here is that your web service is deploying code, including malware, onto my computer. The malware payload steals all of my personal data unbeknownst to me, and sends it to random 3rd parties.

So, that's pretty nasty, and yes, I want it to be regulated.

No, not my web service. Some may be, but my web service is still punished. Most of the rules apply even if you are sharing no data with third parties.

If this was just about third-party trackers, the EU could have written a law similar to the cookie warning. People who care about that (including myself) can use browser addons or block third-party cookies.

I think these rules are all fine, desirable even -- if your web service isn't able to follow them, perhaps consider buying some off-the-shelf applications with built in support for these regulations.

This isn't punishment any more than making sure your electrical box is 72" off the ground and your gas meter has nothing around it within 5'.

Thank you, all great examples. Gee, people can be quite blinded when you challenge their worldview a tiny bit.

Peoole can die without building codes. Nobody is going to die if you get a targeted ad. This is all a false equivalence.

The GDPR doesn't ban targeted ads. You just have to get explicit consent. Only yes means yes :)

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