[wicket]

The difference here is that Freenode is not used so much for informal chat as with other IRC servers. Many free software projects use Freenode as the primary communication method for project coordination, and in this case it is essential to keep logs. Not everyone is online 100% of the time and logs enable everyone to catch up if they've been offline.

[dhodell]

Sure, but those projects can also trivially set up logging with their own bots and in their own clients, with better control of what is logged, when, why, and how those logs are shared. This service appears to have logged fewer than 100 channels. This wasn't an aggregate logger and anyway aggregate logging probably isn't permissible anyway due to GDPR.

[wicket]

I don't dispute the triviality of setting up your own log bot; I was merely pointing out that Freenode is not solely used for informal chat.

You bring up an interesting point about GPDR and aggregate logging. The same probably applies to mailing list archives.