> No fines are going to hit these companies that have no EU presence.

Oh they will be fined. The question is whether those fines will ever be collected. But the collection of fines is a different part of the government than the part that sets and applies the fines.

> That's just scaremongering.

No, it's a fact of life: if you ignore the law you will be fined.

> And for the ones that do, I guess we'll see.

Oh ok, so they will be fined. At least we agree on something.

Note that the EU at this point in time couldn't care less about those companies that have no POP in the EU, and if that causes companies to pack up and leave then so be it. But those companies that do have a POP and that knowingly and persistently violate the law, whether they are European in origin, American or Chinese deserve to have the book thrown at them if they ignore the law.

> Blocking the EU market seems pretty damn fair to me.

That's just fine, I take it your business is not affected or you plan to ignore the law because they can't collect. I'm perfectly ok with you doing that, don't get me wrong. It's your right to do this but I do think you should be transparent about this.

> I don't understand why the EU thinks it can force a business outside of the EU to deal with their citizens if it doesn't want to?

The EU can't force that, and that's not the intent of the law.

>