[ysv2]

> the EU is saying "You can't do these things to our citizens without their explicit consent, and we will punish you if you do, regardless of where you host your website."

The EU has neither the right nor the ability to deliver on that threat. I will continue to ignore the GDPR, as I ignore the ridiculous cookie laws, without worrying about European police raiding my home at night.

[harryf]

Looking at the EUs antitrust fine for Google - https://www.google.ch/amp/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/artic... it's clear it does have the ability. The message is "you want to profit from EU citizens? You follow the rules"

[ysv2]

No, you're confused. Google has a physical presence and business partners in Europe; I do not. (Profiting from EU citizens is beside the point.)

[akie]

Yeah, but what would you do if the EU decides that you cannot sell your product in the EU?

[ysv2]

I would continue to do nothing special to support the EU's provincial laws. If EU citizens want to send me money, fine. If the EU decides to block its citizens from doing so, that's also fine.

But I will take no actions on my end to implement EU laws, and it's laughable that some people in this thread imagine the EU has the power to coerce me to do so.

[miracle2k]

Well, if they really really wanted it, they might be able penalize you. How about everytime you travel, make sure the country won't extradite you. How about your employees? Is that risk acceptable and fair to them?

I don't like what is happening here, but when people want a particular outcome strong enough, they tend set aside more principled concerns.

[mrintegrity]

Will you be traveling to an EU country at any point in your life? Imagine fines are levied against you or your company and you refuse or ignore them and continue to operate as before. Could cause you trouble at the border

[doikor]

Against small companies with almost no footprint in EU maybe. But against huge multinational corporations that want access to the 500m+ people market they sure can.

[ysv2]

Exactly, that's the distinction.

[kuschku]

What is your website? And which bank do you happen to use for your company and personally?

Enforcing laws internationally is easy, considering that there are systems designed to allow the police of one country to freeze the assets of citizen of another country.

You might just wake up one morning with your bank accounts frozen and your credit cards revoked if you violate the GDPR.

Governments have previously seized entire airplanes to pay for a single $500 fee that an airline refused to pay, don't expect it won't happen to you.

[ysv2]

> You might just wake up one morning with your bank accounts frozen and your credit cards revoked if you violate the GDPR.

Please, spare me. I'm no more worried about EU laws than I am about China seizing my accounts for mentioning Tiananmen Square. You overestimate the EU's reach.