I became an advocate for GDPR after I started implementing it for the company I work for. I am an advocate for it because it requires companies to think hard about what they need the data for and whether or not it is going to adversely affect their customers.
Before GDPR there was virtually no downside for gathering private information. There was no downside for using that information to profile customers for any purpose you want. Now there is a downside: you have to tell the customer what you are doing with the data and you have to get permission to do so if the use is not related to the service that you are providing to the customer.
IMHO this strikes a good balance. You can still use the data, but there is a cost. Even within the organisation where I work, it has completely changed the way they look at this data. Previously the attitude was, "Let's collect the data and use it, because why not?" Now we're being told, "These are the only things we want to collect data on because we don't want to piss off our customers".
This is exactly what I want. I have in the past used Facebook's services. I currently use Google's services. I don't mind if their business model is destroyed because IMHO, on balance this way is better. I don't mind if people will have to pay for services like theirs. I'm old enough to remember a time where it was already like that -- it's really not so bad. Having thought about it (by way of being required to implement GDPR), I'm going to move to move away from the Google's et al. Having seen the transition in the company I work for, it's clear to me how much better it is.
Before GDPR there was virtually no downside for gathering private information. There was no downside for using that information to profile customers for any purpose you want. Now there is a downside: you have to tell the customer what you are doing with the data and you have to get permission to do so if the use is not related to the service that you are providing to the customer.
IMHO this strikes a good balance. You can still use the data, but there is a cost. Even within the organisation where I work, it has completely changed the way they look at this data. Previously the attitude was, "Let's collect the data and use it, because why not?" Now we're being told, "These are the only things we want to collect data on because we don't want to piss off our customers".
This is exactly what I want. I have in the past used Facebook's services. I currently use Google's services. I don't mind if their business model is destroyed because IMHO, on balance this way is better. I don't mind if people will have to pay for services like theirs. I'm old enough to remember a time where it was already like that -- it's really not so bad. Having thought about it (by way of being required to implement GDPR), I'm going to move to move away from the Google's et al. Having seen the transition in the company I work for, it's clear to me how much better it is.