[teamhappy]

Why would GDPR apply to the internet archive? It's a US based nonprofit. As far as I can tell they don't do anything that even remotely hints at them providing services to EU residents (like offering their site in European languages, having the €-symbol somewhere on their donations page or any of the other more subtle things mentioned in GDPR).

[SmellyGeekBoy]

Is English not a European language?

[teamhappy]

Doesn't matter. Using the English language doesn't imply that you're offering goods or services to individuals in the EU.

[H4CK3RM4N]

No more than Spanish, and you wouldn't be making this argument wrt a Mexican company.

[zeth___]

Not since England left the EU.

[robin_reala]

Britain is still in the EU and GDPR will apply there.

[_nalply]

And Ireland?

[zeth___]

Ireland's language is actually Gaelic.

It's the only country in the EU that does not require it's language in translations because even in Ireland nearly no one speaks it.

[JimDabell]

Ireland has two official languages defined in the constitution – Irish and English.

[kgwgk]

I think he refers to the fact that each EU country notifies one official language and only UK picked English. But I guess they have found, or will find, a way to maintaing things as they are.

http://eltelawjournal.hu/what-language-for-europe/

[merinowool]

Because the data they have might have been produced by EU citizens.

[teamhappy]

Who cares? Me posting my (very German) name and address on somebody else's website (blog comment, forum or whatever) doesn't magically make that person have to comply with GDPR.

According to [1] the law applies to:

1.) a company or entity which processes personal data as part of the activities of one of its branches established in the EU, regardless of where the data is processed; or

2.) a company established outside the EU offering goods/services (paid or for free) or monitoring the behaviour of individuals in the EU.

The internet archive doesn't offer goods or services in the EU (if you want to know how that's defined you have to read the actual law I'm afraid) and they're certainly not "monitoring the behaviour of individuals in the EU".

[1]: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/refo...

[jakeogh]

So what? The EU does not get to make laws for other people. That's why we have countries.

[fredoliveira]

You are missing the point. The EU makes laws that govern - and at least try to - protect its citizens. If a document on the archive is created by a European citizen, then it is under EU law. That's why every company in the world right now that deals with European citizens is working on supporting GDPR. That also applies here.

[donohoe]

Not quite. The EU might want that but it gets into jurisdiction.

The EU cannot enforce its law on entities that are entirely US based. It can only enforce it on non-EU sites if that site has some sort of business that’s within the EU (like offices or employees).

[DanBC]

The EU can say that some businesses are so uncompliant with GDPR that they're not able to be used by EU companies. It seems weird to chose to limit your market just because you don't want to protect user data.

See also changes to "safe harbour".

[jakeogh]

"protect user data" is a odd way to say "force you to forget something"

We are merging with our creations, and will laugh at this "AI" thing when we realize it's us. The WOGPC is really a struggle for self.

[matte_black]

Sorry, but the EU has no teeth here to enforce its laws on entities that exist outside the EU.

When the first purely US based company is successfully fined or shut down by the EU I’ll believe in their ability to enforce GDPR.

[SllX]

Not GDPR-specific, but France.com had its web domain seized by France recently[1]. It was a private US-based business (not a squatter) that the government of France had actually cooperated with for years, until they suddenly decided it violated French trademark law and seized the domain. The domain itself had been in one person's possession since 1994.

Enforcement of national laws is very much a thing across borders, so private businesses outside the EU are right to be apprehensive about what is going to happen as GDPR enforcement ramps up.

[1] https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/04/france-seizes-fr...

[matte_black]

Any domain can be seized, it is not your property.

[walshemj]

But its not personal data that's being handled and the EU is quite happy with the german imprimatur and not keen on anonymous publishing in general.

[icebraining]

Nitpick: EU residents, not citizens, as far as I understand it (the text says people "in the Union", and doesn't mention citizens at all).

[soziawa]

yeah, but GDPR doesn't affect copyright.

[LoSboccacc]

I wish you were right.