My point was about meeting requirements to gain access. Not about following the law. However, would it be against the law to have a club that is only open to ex-cons?

I understand that the GDPR makes it illegal to make it necessary to consent to give up your data before gaining entry. I was just questioning that portion of the law. It would be a pointless conversation to question points of a law and have someone respond back "but that is the law".

> However, would it be against the law to have a club that is only open to ex-cons?

Actually, in some countries, outside narrow restricted cases like support groups, yes; criminal record is a protected class in some cases.

However, being an ex-con isn't illegal. Having a club where you required members to consent to a crime being committed against them, which is more analogous here, wouldn't be legal.

It's only analogous because this law makes that act illegal if you change the law then it's magically legal again.

... Well, yes. If you legalise murder, murder is legal. I’m not really sure what your point is.

The law in question is the GPDR. I’m not sure what your point is. If you change the law to allow people to choose to consent or not see content then it is no longer illegal. If we can’t have that discussion because it is currently illegal then I guess it’s pointless.

I mean, that change _could_ be made, but why on earth _would_ it be made? It would largely defeat this portion of the GDPR. Who actually wants that change beyond advertising companies?

Why would it not be made? Each person has agency in the decision to share their data. If it is indeed _my_ data then _I_ should be able to choose to sell it or move on. Forcing a companies hand, I predict, will just move more content behind a paywall, decrease access to legitimate information and further fringe conspiracies.

You can sell your data for cash.

But this thing where big sites say "data or else" isn't a proper negotiation. It's a contract of adhesion, and those get regulated for good reason.

If things get moved behind expensive paywalls, that's a shame. But if there is more truely free access, or content behind paywalls that charge as much as an ad is worth, that can be a net benefit.