I say that even though it caused me a lot of work for the past months.
The requirement to hire a DPO is not a new thing, by the way - many countries in the EU already required this. This is true for many provisions in the GDPR - in Germany, for example, very little changes from the way it used to be, their data protection law was strict to begin with.
The big difference is that companies would just ignore the laws in, say, Germany since they were operating from Ireland, and would claim that the German courts had no jurisdiction. Now, it's the same everywhere in Europe, which makes it much easier to enforce.
Good for those countries? I'm not going to be happy with the idea of hiring some idiot to sit around and do nothing all day.
But it does frustrate me that you all believe that GDPR will somehow be good for you. I've seen it said multiple times that when a massive American media company decides to pull out of the EU that a European alternative will emerge that is GDPR compliant and replace it.
Do you actually believe that if the economics of GDPR compliance did not work for a large American business that it will somehow work out for a small EU startup? The only way I can see it work out is if GDPR is selectively enforced against American business which it seems obvious to me that will be the case.
The winners of GDPR continue to be the big five. Hopefully, they will adjust their behaviors (after paying some painful fines) in spirit of this regulation. Despite he GDPR, these companies will stay the technology and innovation leaders they are today. This will not change by that. This regulation will hopefully just enforce them to consider data privacy as something a lot of people really value.
Why judge at all? Europe has an extremely troubled history when it comes to abuse of private data - WW2, Franco, the Stasi, infiltration of moderate left-wing groups when the RAF was active, communism in East Europe. So, can you blame us for being protective of our privacy?
But it does frustrate me that you all believe that GDPR will somehow be good for you.
Why not? Many countries already had strong privacy protections, but non-EU companies could retract itself in various ways. So, it hasn't been a level playing field for a long time, since EU companies had to provide these protections. So, it is good for EU companies. It is exceptionally good for European citizens - they have a choice in how their data is used. US companies will eventually come around, Europe is a large and wealthy market. And complying with regulations is a walk in the park compared to e.g. China, Russia, or India.
The only way I can see it work out is if GDPR is selectively enforced against American business which it seems obvious to me that will be the case.
Please let this myth die for once and for all. The largest fines handed out by the EC affect European companies:
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/27/the-largest-fines-dished-out...
Firstly, the EU is not the same thing as Europe. Yes EU officials and supporters love to use the word "Europe" when they mean EU - I find it nasty and manipulative.
Secondly, I'm from an EU country, now live in Europe but not in the EU, and I think GDPR is absurd. A great example of the general malaise and decline of the continent. As I have pointed out elsewhere, GDPR is not even remotely an important topic to people in the EU. Actual opinion polls run by the EU Commission have shown for years that the top concerns of the citizenry are immigration, terrorism and the economy, in that order.
Data protection simply doesn't feature in it at all. It's a dog and pony show put on by the EU to distract people from its failings.
> As I have pointed out elsewhere, GDPR is not even remotely an important topic to people in the EU.
Just pointing out the irony...
I can't speak on behalf of anyone except myself, but I can confirm that, while it's not the #1 thing people are concerned about, people do worry about privacy. Especially in Germany and the neighboring countries.
I am referring to opinion polls. By pointing out what opinion polls say, I am not "speaking for all of Europe". That would be me giving my personal opinion as if it was commonplace or standard in Europe.
Not commenting on the validity of this statement but it's interesting how I can tell from which continent you are from just by you saying that the regulation forcing a business to hire DPO is reasonable.