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by alexmingoia 2101 days ago
I like Facebook. How about we let people use the websites and apps they want to?
4 comments

People are being let. It's Facebook who are saying they will exercise their liberty by exiting the EU market because they don't want to obey the law.
The EU laws contribute to the Balkanization of the Internet. It seems most people on HN are happy to have governments tell people what data is allowed to be transmitted and where it has to be hosted, as long as Facebook or TikTok is at the receiving end.
> most people on HN

most people in Europe. I think in this instance the EU is generally thought to be doing the right thing. The only people I hear moaning is the odd sour-puss on the internet.

Facebook like any business has to obey the law to operate in the EU.

Considering the mass surveilance issues of foreign governments(i.e US, China) I believe the law is sensible if not too weak. Even people who do not use Facebook can be/ are affected.

> How about we let people use the websites and apps they want to?

Nobody is stopping Facebook from complying with the laws. If they choose to exit the market rather then comply its on them.

What is the alternative? Let Facebook (and other companies ) do whatever they want?

I like Standard Oil. How about we let people buy from the businesses they want to?
Yeah, letting people buy from businesses they choose sounds good.

Standard oil was a great company, that benefited consumers by driving down costs and improving the efficiency of oil production and distribution. Prices fell from ~30 cents to ~5 cents per gallon between 1870-1900, and when they were broken up by the government they had more than 100 competitors, and only ~65% market share.

They were benefiting shareholders and consumers of that age at the detriment of society.

Slavery also invigorates the markets with cheap produce for consumers and high profits for shareholders. Shall we legalize that as well?

Nothing is easy in reality and you can find positive effects to the markets in almost anything if you just look at localized effects