[guelo]

That's the recipe for political enforcement of draconian laws. It's especially dangerous for big foreign american companies which are perfect for politicians to demagogue about. I would not bet the business on any extra-legal grace from their beuracracy.

[olivierduval]

"political enforcement of draconian laws"... like: how the US use their extra-territorial law to fine US Business's competitors (banks, industry...) ? ;-) It's funny to see how the US way of mixing law and business is terrifying when others may use it too, no? Anyway: it hasn't been how Europe worked until now, so relax. French Regulator said, for example, that it won't enforce strictly the regulation ... because... well... EU companies aren't more ready than US ones. And they'll have to.

[Chris_Jay]

The US paving the way for such practices is not exactly reassurance. If the laws are so complex nobody is capable of operating within them, the result is a police state. Being subject to arrest at any time because the law of the land explicitly gives the government that power or because it is so byzantine that nobody can know all of it works out to the same thing in the end.

Your argument seems to be that a police state where the authorities have a lighter touch is preferable. That's obviously true compared to a draconian police state, but it's a police state either way.