Transparency, Fairness, and Respect: The Policy Brief on Responsible Data Handling
It’s been a little over a year since the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was implemented, but almost immediately, people noticed its impact. First, there was the flurry of emails seeking users’ consent to the collection and use of their data. Since then, there’s also been an increase in the number of sites that invite the user to consent to tracking by clicking “Yes to everything,” or to reject them by going through a laborious process of clicking “No” for each individual category. (Though some non-EU sites simply broadcast “if we think you’re visiting from the EU, we can’t let you access our content.”) There was also the headline-grabbing €50 million fine imposed on Google by the French supervisory authority.
In its summary of the year, the EU Data Protection Board (EDPB) reported an increase in the number of complaints received under GDPR, compared to the previous year, and a “perceived rise in awareness about data protection rights among individuals.” Users are more informed and want more control over the collection and use of their personal data.
They’re probably irritated by the current crop of consent panels, and either ignore, bypass, or click through them Continue reading

