Why does Europe have better privacy laws than the USA?

[Anonymous]

[WindAtMyBack]

The US has some very large and very powerful companies whose main business is to violate people's rights. As far as I'm concerned, companies like Google and FB should be completely shut down. Their entire business model is based on violating people's rights.

The government won't shut down such large businesses, because of the economic impact. Plus it would cost the government a fortune to fight it in court.

Most of the massive spy masters are based in the US, not Europe.

[NaultD]

9/11 and war on terrorism was a thing so why not spy on everyone do what ever just because the government can. Remember edward snowden whistle-blower from NSA over 10 years ago. He got few hundred pages on how and who the government pays private contracts.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/XEVlyP4_11M

[OlderAndWiser]

Can you please refer to specific laws in specific countries so we know what you are talking about?

[DryGermanGuy]

For Germany (and other countries):
You can't be filmed/photographed in public and then published somewhere.
Companies can't fingerprint you or track your private life.
Data brokers are limited in usage of your data and have to delete it on your demand.
Nobody gets to publish your address and employment information
No filming/recording of court proceedings and no publishing of court related names
etc etc
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesdatenschutzgesetz

[OlderAndWiser]

@DryGermanGuy So if you photograph a crowd at a soccer game, you must get the consent of everyone in the picture?

[WindAtMyBack]

en.wikipedia.org/.../General_Data_Protection_Regulation

I think this is the one that caused web sites and forums around the world to change their TOU and/or EULA to comply. They wanted to have uniform policies instead of different policies depending on the country.

As I understand it there are also provisions that apply to EU citizens regardless of their actual location.

Another example is Google Street View. It was either banned, or regulated in some countries because of violation of privacy.

[DryGermanGuy]

Crowd pictures depend on the identifiability of single persons in it. It's also a difference if someone just takes private pictures or if these pictures are published (print, online, social).

[Asker]

@olderandwiser So for example the "rights to be forgotten" Law in the EU allows them to remove any personal information or data that was collected at posted online.

In the US we have the "right to free speech," which legally allows for free speech. Which I don't work in law, so I am not entirely sure how it works, but because we have the right to true and free speech, it is legally allowed for data brokers to collect someone's personal information and upload it on a website like "BeenVerified" whereas the EU, laws in place to protect against the selling of your information.

[Asker]

So all your facebook data will be sold and end up on a sever in china.

[OlderAndWiser]

Actually, I don't think the activity is protected by the First Amendment. This information is information that is publicly available, if you know where to look. And Facebook protects itself with its TOS.

[Asker]

@olderandwiser Yes, but if I don't have a facebook account or any apps that sell my information I should be okay. Now if I have a friend that gives access to their contact list like Facebook or apps that sell personal information and I am on that persons contact list and they have me saved by my real name then my personal information is going to be tracked. I don't want to opt into those agreements, but because my friend agrees to the terms of service, they can track my information.

It does not matter if I give out my real name online if someone has me saved on their phone with my real name I am going to be tracked by Facebook.

[OlderAndWiser]

Yes, I really do understand your concern. This is one of the problems with technology and innovation; we forge ahead with what we CAN do and ignore the question of whether we SHOULD do it.

[AngryCarl]

Because US sold out to the corporations a long time ago. Why do you think you can't have affordable healthcare? Corporations.