It’s not often I mount my high horse, but my feet are firmly in the stirrups on this one. Just what has GDPR done to our experience of using the internet? I don’t know about you, but I am becoming increasingly fed up with the cookie preference box that blights almost all websites these days.
Either you take the easy option and “accept all” or, as in most cases, you plough through an endless list of trivia, switching off consent for all types of use. Many, I know, seek to make it as difficult as possible in the hope that the frustrated user will accept everything. In most cases I just close the site and go elsewhere. May their analysts wither and their marketing managers go back to selling vegetables.
Who is going to read all this, let alone selectively consider every option? The marketing managers just hope you’ll be overwhelmed and “accept all”. Increasingly, however, the main options are presented as “off” as in the above example from TechCrunch. But delve a little deeper and you’ll find that other intrusive options relating to data gathering and advertising are “on” by default. It’s necessary to click the REJECT ALL button to be safe, before clicking on Save and Continue. What’s worse, you have to go through all this rigmarole every time you access a site.
Off by default
I’d like to go one step further and have all options, except for the most basic operational stuff, switched off by default as a universal option within all web browsers. Apple is pioneering the opt-in principle (rather than opt-out) with the iOS operating system and I expect the protection to be carried forward to MacOS soon. Apple’s action is already causing a loss of revenue to major players such as Facebook who have long relied on consumer laziness in failing to set parameters for data mining.
The upcoming iOS 15.2 release brings added security features, including App Privacy Report which shows what data is being harvested by individual applications and gives you the opportunity to opt-out. This will be a global opt-out, removing the need for constant interaction as is the case with web browsers.
But it is the constant of cookie preference panels on almost every internet site that has become one of the most annoying features of my daily work.
Well meaning but…
Of course, I am seeing this from a European perspective and I assume (perhaps unfairly, but please do let us know if you are an expert on the subject) that it is all down to the infamous General Data Protection Act (GDPR).
If ever there was a well-meaning piece of legislation that actually works against the consumer, this must be it. It’s a prime example of a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Perhaps in other countries, outside the EU sphere of influence, there are no intrusive cookie panels every time you open a website. Let me know what happens in your country.
This data protection legislation goes much further than forcing websites to lumber us with such complicated cookie-preference boxes. It infiltrates every aspect of our lives and makes even the simplest task overly bureaucratic. It has also removed much of the pleasure from casual street photography as we worry about permissions. Admittedly, it is worse in some countries, such as Germany, where the rules are even more stringent than in Britain.
I’ve written to my “lawmaker” (what a ridiculous word which, sadly, is popping up in English; it reminds me of “rainmaker”, an equally fruitless occupation) to suggest a repeal of GDPR in the newly independent Britain but haven’t had a response. I don’t hold out much hope; almost certainly she doesn’t agree with my suggestion.
What do you think? Should Britain scrap GDPR or, at least, cut out all the cookie crap? Or do you think it’s a good thing to have this type of well-meaning intrusion, presumably dictated by GDPR, despite the inconvenience it causes and the time it wastes? Or, perhaps, you love clicking all the cookie preferences before reading the news?
Discuss… I am open to alternative views.
A cup of coffee works wonders in supporting Macfilos
Did you know that Macfilos is run by a dedicated team of volunteers? We rely on donations to help pay our running costs. And even the cost of a cup of coffee will do wonders for our energy levels.
We deal with this in the US thanks to the GDPR. Agreed it should be opt out by default, but Marketing will have none of the that.
The other irritant the days is popups to sign up for emails or “15% off” or whatever… I was browsing today for gifts and every other web page had one or another flavor of this and it was extremely interruptive. And as far as I’ve seen from research, extremely unproductive for the web sites. But some dude high up asked for it so they keep it.
Wow. I honestly had always thought it was full frame for some reason! My old GR1v film camera is still going strong but I have never investigated the digital versions. Maybe it’s time I took a look.
I think it was the lack of a built in EVF that put me off (and the comments online about short battery life and so-so JPEGS – I shoot JPEGS for convenience even on my SL2s.).
Why use the Ricoh though and not a TL2 or CL? Is it just that it’s full frame?
Well, the Ricoh is APS-C, the same as the TL2 and CL. As far as I am concerned, it performs as well as the Leicas but is smaller and fits in a pocket.
Like a few of the respondents here, I skip that site and go elsewhere. So Mr. Hislop and Mike, do you use viewfinder on Ricoh, if so which one? I been thinking about the smaller size one. Have fun the remainder of the week.
I have the smaller 28mm one. The dual 21/28 is bigger and unnecessary if you don’t use the wide angle accessory. The small VF is adequate, but so where near as bright as Leica’s much bigger 28mm finder. But it is compact and suits the Ricoh. That said, more often than not I use this camera without a viewfinder. I see it as a more comfortable smartphone which is easier to hold and more camera-like.
I suspect that I am always being watched. I have ditched google as they track you and filter out things. I have Bravo and am feeling a lot less tracked.
I always look my best as there are cameras everywhere 👀 I go to the washroom if I need to scratch myself 😂.
On a more positive note, Leica says the legend is coming on January 13. I suspect the M11 but hopefully they have not been as over the top in marketing as with the Mini M fiasco. The big feature will be a battery similar to the SL so no removal of the bottom plate. I went with the M10M as there is a charm to removing the half body case and then the bottom plate. It takes me back to the more methodical film days.
None of this is as simple as it seems. The main issue with this ‘internet wheeze’ is that it is global, both in terms of outgoing traffic and incoming traffic. I agree that the GDPR has led to a lot of formulaic tick box compliance designed by a combination of IT people and cyber lawyers. Because a lot of the activities for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) are run out of Ireland, the policing, such as it is, is done by the Irish Data Protection Commissioner under what is known as the ‘country of origin’ rule, a well established international practice. Your British laws may well get changed, but that will only apply to British websites and not to the international ones, which may just end being a tilting at windmills exercise. In the US the major websites have complied with GDPR in order to keep their global businesses going, but a lot of smaller US websites have just stopped providing services to parties outside of the US because of compliance costs. This is a two-edged sword which may or may not affect their business plans. There are consequences for anything that is done in cyber space and I suspect that your law makers would definitely need to have a long hard look at the plus and minus aspects of any break away from GDPR. Would other countries block or take other action against non compliant British websites? I don’t know the answer to that, but it may not be worth the risk.
William
Yes, I agree there are many things that have to be taken into consideration. But I still believe there just be a way of doing it without causing such disruption to daily work. Let’s hope something is done.
I remember when globalization seemed like a good idea.
I’ve grown old enough to know better. The world is now a big tangled up ball of string.
Nah, I’m a lot older than him Mike so I usually tell people I’m the original when I’m asked.
I’ve been a long time lurker here and it was when researching the Ricoh GR that I found this site, and thanks to your ‘review’ that I bought my GRii and been in love with it ever since. The one camera I’ll never be without.
That’s good. Ricoh GRIII is my current choice for pocket camera. And I can’t claim to be THE Mike Evans, either.
Mike, if you install the free AdGuard Browser extension most if not all your GDPR pop ups and adverts will be gone. I have been using it for several years and there is only one web site it does not work on.
https://adguard.com/en/adguard-browser-extension/overview.html
Works on all my Windows browsers and ipad Safari
Thanks, Ian. As it happens, ad blocking is built into Safari which I use mainly. So I don’t suffer from ads. Some sites, however, put up a blocking notice telling me to turn off my adblocking. So I turn them off instead. I also notice I don’t get ads on iOS Safari, so the blocking must be across both platforms. And no cost, either.
You’re not THE Ian Hislop, are you? Didn’t know we had such an illustrious readership!
Wasn’t “Hislop” a character in Ronnie Barker’s Porridge?
Welcome to the forum, Ian, and thank you for the tip. First impressions are positive. Enjoy your little Ricoh, a useful little companion.
.
Leaving aside the GDPR for a minute, you say “..“rainmaker”, an equally fruitless occupation..”
My Beloved and I were in Mexico several years ago (we-ell, two or three times, but I mean the first..) which must have been in, er, 2003; we’d gone for a gentle trip to the Sun and Moon pyramids outside Mexico City, and ended up at the café nearby. There was a largely empty car park, but with a newly-arrived coach standing about 60 yards from where we were eating.
A Mexican ‘Indian’ and his wife entertained us all with various dances, and then they – or he – offered a rain dance. He jumped and ran, feathers waving in all directions, and then there was a kind of drumming on the roof, and water began pouring down the windows.
“Aha!” I thought: they’ve a sprinkler on the roof; when he dances they open the tap! (A bit like the Petersham Hotel in Richmond, which guarantees a white Christmas; a machine on the roof gives gentle white snowfall outside while you eat!)
Looking out of the café window, it was a beautiful sunny day ..but that coach 60 yards away was drenched in a downpour, as were we ..almost a torrent of water from the skies.
So, er, “rainmaker”, an equally fruitless occupation? ..not always.
Wonderful story. But I wish we could find some equivalent successes among the “lawmakers”. Incidentally, you don’t say if YOU like that ridiculous new term, David?
“lawmakers” ..? I assume that means MPs, or Parliament, or the government. Never given it a thought, except to think “they’re all amateurs, they’ve no idea what they’re doing, they’ve got vested interests, and they’re a self-serving bunch of know-nothing idiots”.
Here’s an example; the present so-called ‘Home Secretary’ rails against ‘criminals’ who are crossing the Channel to come to the UK. It is NOT a criminal activity to cross the Channel.
But if you mean the judiciary instead; they – mainly – seem to have their heads screwed on, unlike the comics who presently comprise the UK, er, ‘government’.
But I thought you didn’t want any reference to politics here..?
Indeed, we don’t do politics ’cause we’d all fall out and I won’t be drawn into that. But “lawmakers” is a generic, cross-party term that has nothing to do with politics except incidentally. It’s an egregious confection that sets my teeth on edge. Before cross-border news sites, it was sufficient to use “Member of Parliament”, now it must be a term that applies without fear or favour to every legislature in the world, hence lawmaker. Aaaarrggghh!
This very thing has been driving me crazy for the past few years and I’m completely with you on being unhappy with this ( UK websites seem to be the biggest culprits although Leica appears to have joined the club too).
These days, If I get the cookies message box on any website I click on, I immediately LEAVE the website and stop supporting it by clicking on it. Yes, even the ones I’m really interested in. I’ve simply become accustomed to doing that now. Drastic yes, but it leaves me in control rather than the cookie monster.
For many years I have gathered the news and background for Macfilos using RSS feeds and applications such as Flipboard. Unfortunately, everything is now infected with the GDPR virus. Saved stories, which used to be presented in easily-read plain text, are now most times redirected back to the site so I can have the pleasure of accepting the cookies. I think I’d sooner be tracked (via my VPN situated in Romania, good luck to them with that) rather than have to put up with all this nonsense. A plague on all their houses.