[Angostura]

> Let me know if you have any questions...

It sounds as if you're unwilling to talk about the issues that you're facing. So what can you say? The only reason I can think of that you can't say is that are trying to get some infrastructure suppliers to be compliant and those talks are confidential. Correct?

[bthdonohue]

The email we sent to EU users (quoted in linked article) has the important details regarding the service interruption in the EU.

Additionally, I can say that our privacy policy is concise, clear, and accurate with respect to the types of information we collect and how the data is used: https://www.instapaper.com/privacy

If you have other specific questions, I will do my best to answer them.

[Angostura]

Well, as The Verge says in the article: 'While we don’t know exactly what’s holding up Instapaper'

I'm naturally curious as to what's holding up Instapaper.

As you say, your Privacy Policy is very good, other than the disclaimer that says 'we may pass your personal data to others - who knows what they do with it eh?'. I imagine that this is the issue which is holding you up.

[bthdonohue]

The scope of work for GDPR was underestimated by me, we were not able to complete that work for the deadline on Friday, and this was the required alternative.

We are working very hard to minimize the service interruption.

[Dayshine]

Have you received genuine legal advice that recommended that you shut down business instead of continuing to work towards compliance?

The agencies that can enforce the GPDR want you to be compliant, not to fine you... If you're actually working towards compliance past evidence shows they won't fine you.

[sdhgaiojfsa]

I've heard this line a lot, but even as a government loving liberal it doesn't sound very compelling to me. The law says, comply or face fines up to 4% of global revenue. It doesn't say, "make a best effort to comply, or face fines up to 4% of global revenue." I'm very reluctant to trust people who can fine me for that much money that they won't do so. This is especially the case because it appears to some of us foreigners that the EU particularly loves to fine foreign companies for large amounts despite what appears, from our perspective, to be a good faith attempt that to comply with the law.

[Dayshine]

https://gdpr-info.eu/art-83-gdpr/

>2When deciding whether to impose an administrative fine and deciding on the amount of the administrative fine in each individual case due regard shall be given to the following:

> any action taken by the controller or processor to mitigate the damage suffered by data subjects;

>the degree of cooperation with the supervisory authority, in order to remedy the infringement and mitigate the possible adverse effects of the infringement;

>the manner in which the infringement became known to the supervisory authority, in particular whether, and if so to what extent, the controller or processor notified the infringement;

>where measures referred to in Article 58(2) have previously been ordered against the controller or processor concerned with regard to the same subject-matter, compliance with those measures;

>any other aggravating or mitigating factor applicable to the circumstances of the case, such as financial benefits gained, or losses avoided, directly or indirectly, from the infringement.

So, a whole bunch of very explicit things that are to be used when deciding if whether to impose a fine (at all).

[Tomte]

The EU regularly fines domestic companies huge amounts in anti-trust enforcement.

[mtaksrud]

True that the text doesn’t say this, but several of the privacy authorities in the different jurisdictions in Europe have been stating this publicly in interviews. The last one I saw was the ICO in the UK today on BBC Click saying exactly this...

[celticninja]

I would be interested in seeing examples of large fines that have been handed out to business by the EU that don't first of all meet the general conditions mentioned in this article.

https://jacquesmattheij.com/gdpr-hysteria

[downandout]

The agencies that can enforce the GPDR want you to be compliant, not to fine you.

Says who? The only perfectly clear parts of the GDPR revolve around the massive fines.

[ggg9990]

The EU actually loves levying huge fines against rich US tech companies. Why do you think they prefer compliance to fines?

[Angostura]

Well, let's take a famous example. The €4.2bn fine given to Google in 2017 for abuse of its market position in pushing its own shopping results.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jun/27/google-brac...

Shocking stuff.

Except the Commission actually gave Google quite detailed advice over 5 years earlier about what it needed to do to be compliant.

https://www.ft.com/content/564a284a-a334-11e1-8f34-00144feab...

[pmontra]

Shutting down means you're probably not gathering any further data but what if one of your EU users sends you mail now asking for all the data you have about him/her? How does the shut down protects you about that?

[celticninja]

The law says you need to work toward a solution, it isn't a cliff edge thing where you are immediately legally liable. Are you just not wanting to risk it or do you not read the law in this way?

[x0x0]

The GDPR fines based on global revenues.

I'd bet Pinterest is very risk averse given how little money they make from Instapaper.

[kevingrahl]

Global revenue of the parent company!

[yoz-y]

Weirdly enough I am an European citizen, haven't received the mail and the service is working.

Not complaining, I prefer it this way. Hope you will sort the issues quickly.

[bthdonohue]

The ban will be IP-based for IPs in EU countries, and it goes into effect at approximately 2PM Pacific Time.

[kingosticks]

Me too. And I can see I am definitely subscribed to "account update" emails. I'm not sure how they would decide if I was European or not, can't see a tick box for that in the profile page.

[pkaye]

Where are you located?

[kingosticks]

The UK.

[balls187]

Thanks to Brexit, there is going to be a similar GDPR law for the UK.

Interesting times these are.

[bo1024]

Ironically, I am unable to read that page without enabling javascript for a third-party domain (amazonaws.com)...