[jacquesm]

No, they should strengthen them instead and put a couple of offenders out of business that would definitely get a lot more companies to fall in line and stop abusing their users. Effectively you are arguing that the self regulation worked, but it really didn't. Hence the need for legislation and hence these (still pretty mild) fines.

For starters: don't include third party resources in your offering. That already cuts down tremendously on your exposure under the GDPR.

[charcircuit]

Me collecting data is not me abusing my users. I am simply recording facts about the world. Being forced to censor facts because the people the fact is about don't like it is plain censorship. Information should be free.

[andrejguran]

What if the recording is your conversations? What if it's the location of places you visited? What if it's people you're on pictures with? It's still just recording facts about the world? Are you comfortable with apps doing this without any oversight?

[charcircuit]

That's fine. Discord already has thousands of conversations that I've had with people. Google has a history of places I've visited and I've had an improved Google maps experience from that data. I don't really take many pictures with people. I would say I am mostly fine with it. It would me nice if they could disclose what they collect though. I think informing consumers is a good thing.

[MrJohz]

Informing consumers is largely what the GDPR regulations are about - ensuring that data can't be collected without the informed consent of users, and that when it is collected, the users can then see what data is available and how it's being used, along with being able to delete it if they wish.

[jacquesm]

Compliance with the law is not optional, as you will probably find out at some point. All this naive 'information should be free' stuff went out of fashion in the 00's when it was all the rage on /.

[profile53]

Me standing outside your bathroom window with a camera is simply recording facts about the world but is still unequivocally abusive toward you.

[charcircuit]

I don't see it as abusive. You would be weird to do so though.

[chockchocschoir]

If you're not collecting personally identifiable information, you are not affected by GDPR and can proceed as normal. Not exactly sure what "recording facts about the world" means, but if it doesn't involve individuals and their data, you don't have to change anything.

I agree that general information should be free, but there is a difference between general information and personal information. Personal information (like the photos I take in my bedroom) should not be free unless I agree to that.

[charcircuit]

Once you have shared a picture of your bedroom to the world I believe it should be free to exist. If someone noted that you had a booshelf in your room I don't believe you should be able to have that information taken down just because it is information related to you.

Edit: If knowledge of the bookshelf does not count as personal information instead someone could post your address my crossreferencing the photos with houses that have been sold in that area in the past.