Really? HN is the only website I frequent where there is any significant opposition to the GDPR. All social media I frequent, all general-interested news sites I read are universally happy about a crackdown on ads and personal data selling. They joke about the deluge of privacy policy updates, but the jokes definitely make fun of the companies and not of the law.

Think it has anything to do with the HN crowd consisting disproportionately of the tiny minority of the workforce who make a living out of exactly the kind of behavior the GDPR wants to restrain?

> They joke about the deluge of privacy policy updates, but the jokes definitely make fun of the companies and not of the law.

And the best jokes where made by those who still have personal memories of the y2k scare. Did you remember to stockpile cash and food?

I've been on this website for many years, and have been following the privacy topic for more than a decade.

I never had the feeling in the past that HN visitors were especially pro-privacy. There were a few notable exceptions, but many more were the entrepreneur/hustler, "I don't care" or the "let the market sort it out" types.

In the past 1-2 years I guess there were several data leaks and privacy-related scandals and more and more people have had enough of these Monday to Friday advertisers on this Monday to Friday plane (of existance). Hate would not be a wrong word to describe the feelings those people have towards the advertising industry.

Maybe the pendulum has swung back :)

It's only "disastrous" to bottom-feeding companies with terrible business models.

Not everyone agrees with that.

Like google.

Not true. Ever heard of compliance risk? Apparently not.

A compliance risk, even if it's a cost, is not usually disastrous.

That’s a fact. Net neutrality, GDPR, socialism — disagree with any of these and you’re an outcast here. It seems like “unintended consequences” is not something that many people seem to care about or understand. It’s like listening to freshman dorm-room pseudointellectual pontification at 1 am.

Privacy is a basic right with constitutional protection that many people fought and died for.

Showing bullshit ads isn’t.