arguing that it’s not real consent if the only alternative is shelling out yet another monthly subscription fee
Very true, and hopefully many other verdicts will follow, like "It’s not real consent if....this or that.
This dark pattern has started to spread everywhere already.
It's not consent if there are fifty pages of legalese to read before you press accept.
I’m a big fan of TOSDR and recommend everyone check it out. It’s a site dedicated to translating TOS and EULA into English by attorneys working pro-bono. It’s amazing what you’ll find in some of those agreements.
I’m a big fan of TOSDR and recommend everyone check it out.
I did not know this existed, thank you!
You waive your moral rights ...
Except to the extent that any such waiver is prohibited by law, you hereby waive the benefit of any provision of law known as "moral rights" or "droit moral" or any similar law in any country of the world.
Wow, I didn't even know it was possible to waive our moral rights, some heavy shit right there.
And I had to lol when I saw it was coming from Blizzard of all places.
Edit: It's actually a different kind of morals, not in the general public sense (Right vs Wrong) definition that we all know.
Still seems immoral though, controlling someone else's work, as if it is your own, so thoroughly.
I'm guessing that's not enforceable per much anywhere, hence the "unless prohibited by law" part. But they stick it in there so they can scare you into giving up a legal fight. Most terms of service are throwing crap at the wall and seeing what sticks.
I’m a big fan of TOSDR and recommend everyone check it out.
Also, you really should make a separate post about this, to bring awareness more widely.
fifty
I can hear PayPal giggling
There's a core tenet in EU consumer protection law that if clauses aren't clear enough to understand by laymen, they can be challenged.
Curious how they expect this to work for people who aren't even "paying" [with money or data] Meta users. Those people who never signed up for any of their services yet are still being tracked across websites via those social sharing buttons and the like. Are they supposed to pay Meta to not hoard their data from all the other websites, despite never setting foot on a Meta site?
Those people who never signed up for any of their services yet are still being tracked across websites via those social sharing buttons and the like
It is plain illegal what META is doing there. They just haven't been dragged to court so far.
But with these buttons, the websites which includes them are offenders, too.
"Nice data you got there. Be a shame if someone sold that for a premium"
I wish they'd do that in the US for the stupid TOS nonsense they pull. I'm guessing a lot of it wouldn't hold up in court, but it's unlikely to get challenged because an individual just doesn't have the resources to do so, so it chills people into going along with it.
For example:
A lot of this is hidden behind dozens of pages of TOS that pretty much nobody reads. A general, "massive TOS isn't real consent" law could do wonders to improve consumer protections. Specifically, this is what I'd like to see:
Or something along those lines. Consumer protections suck here, and I think this could solve a lot of the problems. Airing dirty laundry can solve a lot of problems.
What's really unhinged is the amount of resources invested into gaslighting Meta does. https://about.fb.com/news/2024/01/investing-in-privacy/
They even have a "Chief Privacy Officer". They have brainwashed entire departments into believing that Meta actually cares about privacy, it's so terrifying. I wonder if people working there realize that, or they have simply fell for the gaslighting.
Prior to joining Meta, she was a partner working on technology issues and co-chair of Covington & Burling's global data practice. Erin collaborates with policymakers and experts on Meta's products and features and is deeply involved in legislative and regulatory efforts around data protection, data portability, advertising, and Al.
E.g. ex lawyer working for a firm that ensured companies could sell and use as much data as possible and defended them if they got sued or fined. Now in charge of “Privacy,” e.g. making sure Meta can sell and use as much private data as possible. It’s literal doublespeak
Yeah, when I saw "Chief Privacy Officer", my first thought was "Ministry of Truth", "Ministry of Peace", etc.
McDonalds sells salads too
They probably don't care as long as they get paid so they can live and survive in this boring dystopia
I wonder if people working there realize that, or they have simply fell for the gaslighting.
Or they're just like everyone else and are desperate for money to live so they sell their souls.
Please pull out of EU, it will be so much easier to convince more of my family to use signal.
They keep throwing around threats of leaving.
Do it... do it you absolute chickens.
Leaving the EU could be an option.
Meta seemed to think that was a threat that would get the EU to cave to their demands and the regulators’ response was basically
Chad EU vs virgin meta
Don't let the door hit you on the way out!
Wouldn't that be a treat!
Say one decides to pay...what guarantees do I get that my data won't be used or that I won't get targeted?
Trust me bro
False advertising laws?
Good luck proving that your data came from meta sources after you paid.
This is great!
I wonder how many € I can rent an EU citizenship for ;-)
It's not about EU citizenship but if you are actually living in the EU.
My VPN says I do
Good news, that’s one point where the EU takes good decisions. Sadly, fight against privacy in terms of anti money laundering rules and similar
Is cutting his hair an option? If he needs, I have a device that uses gravity to chop things...
Max Schrems, the Austrian activist lawyer whose 13-year legal crusade against Meta is what gradually removed those options
I wonder, does anyone know how would one go about acomplishing something like this? One of major websites here in Czech, and a major search engine, has started doing exactly the same thing - pay or agree. And I really don't like that. Are there organizations you can contact, or do you have to have the resources to just sue them?
You should search for something like "data protection office" in Czech language, they likely have tips on how to lodge a complaint.
edit: should be a good website: https://uoou.gov.cz/en/consultation/contact
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This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
