Have you been seeing privacy policy updates popping up on your favorite websites or in your inbox lately? Here's why

I have been seeing these pop ups saying that this site uses cookies to track you and they give an option to accept. No "Nope, I don't accept!" option anywhere.

Rt has an example of this at the bottom of its website but I've just been ignoring it for now because I wasn't sure what it means. I have no tracking and ad block on both my computer and iPad. I saw the number of spam emails go down after I put them on my iPad and installed Ghostbustery on my computer, but in the last few weeks I'm getting 75-100 spam a day. Fortunately they just go into my spam folder on my webmail, but that number of spam makes it harder to find legitimate emails that I'm interested in.

During Trump's first 100 days congress reversed the Obama policy that restricted your internet provider from selling your browsing history. I don't know if this has anything to do with my seeing more spam or not, but I'm sick of congress selling out our rights for more money for them.

Here’s why privacy policy updates have been popping up on websites and in your inbox

SALT LAKE CITY — If you feel like you’ve been seeing an unusual amount of privacy policy updates popping up on your favorite websites or in your inbox, you’re not going crazy.

These updates are coming just ahead of a major new data privacy law called the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR goes into effect in the European Union Friday and is probably the strictest protector of digital privacy rights in the world.

The GDPR is essentially a new law that changes how, when and why companies can use customer data. Even though it only applies to the E.U., any company that has any customers in the E.U. has to comply. If they don’t, they could be fined up to 4 percent of their global revenue.

The privacy policy updates are lengthy and annoying (especially when they pop up right as you’re in the middle of something), but if you want the option to keep your data more private than it has been, don’t click “x” or delete the email from your inbox just yet.

While the updates are mainly lengthy pieces of legalese, there are some important gems hidden in the middle.

The author of the article states this:

I was surprised to learn that 643 advertisers have my info, which might explain the enormous amount of ads I've been seeing for eyeglasses — as if my initial glasses purchase was just the inaugural move in a new hobby of eyewear collecting.

I don't recall doing a search for fore skin health properties, but I'm getting up to 10 emails about this every day as well as some other doozies of topics.

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snoopydawg's picture

This is from its help page.

Disqus Privacy Policy

4. TARGETED ADVERTISING and AD PARTNERS.

Advertising is the predominant way Disqus makes money. Advertising revenue allows Disqus to support and improve the Service. Disqus uses, and also engages third party ad partners and affiliates who use, [cookie IDs, device IDs (including mobile), hashed email addresses, IP address, ISP and browser information, demographic or interest data, content viewed and actions taken on the Service or Partner Sites, including information about the websites you’ve viewed and advertisements you’ve interacted within order to provide you with more relevant advertising targeted to your preferences and interests derived from your interaction with the Service, Partner Sites or other third party websites. For a list of third party ad partners that Disqus is currently working with click here. Disqus may also send you email newsletters and email marketing messages if you have provided us with permission, or consented to receive such emails, as required in the jurisdiction in which you reside. Email marketing messages may be tailored to your interests based on the information described above in this section, for information about how to opt-out from such messages please click here.

To learn more about this type of targeted advertising (also called interest-based advertising), analytics services and your choices, including how to opt-out of some third party ads, advertising networks and ad servers, please visit the DAA Consumer Opt-Out Page, NAI Consumer Opt-Out Page, and Google's information page.

Links in the article ...

Looks to me that people will need a lawyer degree to interpret what the Hell they are saying.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

please keep us informed with your progress

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Pricknick's picture

At least it's healthy if you stick to the 2% or 1%.
Got faceplant? Go on a diet and drop it. It's nothing more than a oil well of personal information.
Got google? Every keyboard strike is recorded.
Got cloud? How much crap do you have that you can't save to a backup hard drive for next to nothing?
Got Alexa, Google Home or Echo? Unless you're handicapped, throw those in the garbage.
GDPR is a good thing compared to what we in the exception country have. I hope they stick to their threats of massively fining companies to steal personal information. I wouldn't count on it though as most if not all governments are owned by corporate interests.

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Regardless of the path in life I chose, I realize it's always forward, never straight.

@Pricknick the megadata will only choke their hold. Don't worry. We are still a free people.

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@QMS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOl5ASQRUGM

Ajit Pai Caught Up in Corruption Scandal Involving AT&T & Michael Cohen
The Humanist Report
Published on 25 May 2018

Meanwhile, at the Council of Foreign Relations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCQJm1B29p8

TIME Editor Literally Admits He’s For Gov. Propaganda!
The Jimmy Dore Show

Published on 26 May 2018
A former Time Magazine Editor admits he’s pro-propaganda, refuses to answer panel question.

Just not enough of the right sort of attention is given to corruption, which is clearly still well-paid...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

@Pricknick but a question, What should you use as alternatives? Duckduckgo is supposed to be good, but I do it as a book mark through google, and VPN is supposed to be good but is it effective on individual devices while the router isn't using VPN?

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But where does Europe keeps it's data? In the cloud baby, where the air is free. LOL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation

Scope
The regulation applies if the data controller (an organisation that collects data from EU residents), or processor (an organisation that processes data on behalf of a data controller like cloud service providers), or the data subject (person) is based in the EU. Under certain circumstances, the regulation also applies to organisations based outside the EU if they collect or process personal data of individuals located inside the EU.

HowTo destroy the Internet

Impact
On the effective date, some international websites began to block EU users entirely (including Instapaper, and Tronc-owned newspapers, such as the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times) or redirect them to stripped-down versions of their services (in the case of National Public Radio and USA Today) with limited functionality and/or no advertising, in order to remove their liabilities. Some companies, such as Klout and Unroll.me, and online video games ceased operations entirely to coincide with its implementation, citing GDPR as a burden on their continued operations, especially due to the business models of the former two. Sales volume of online behavioural advertising placements in Europe fell 25-40% on 25 May 2018.

Facebook and subsidiaries WhatsApp and Instagram, as well as Google LLC (targeting Android), were immediately sued by Max Schrems's non-profit NYOB just hours after midnight on 25 May 2018, for their use of "forced consent". Schrems asserts that both companies violated Article 7(4) by attempting to completely block use of their services if users decline to accept all data processing consents, in a bundled grant which also includes consents deemed unnecessary to use the service.

Universal GDPR needed, stat! Keep going. Thanks.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

snoopydawg's picture

The WSWS says to learn how to opt out of accepting cookies "click here." I've done this on every site that has this message and there is no option to opt out.

Most of them do say that if you have questions then email us so I've emailed 5 sites asking them to explain how one can opt out.

This might not even mean anything, but if it doesn't, then why are so many sites posting this disclaimer? It could be that they have to if their websites are posted in Europe where this law has been made, but I still think that there is something nefarious going on.

The PTB are getting Google, Twitler and Farcebook to do its censorship for them and that's why I'm concerned about all the cookies warnings I'm seeing. This and the fact that congress gives our internet providers the right to sell our browsing history. For money of course! I think it'd be a good idea to tell you friends and family about this because as the article stated it's very difficult to opt out or if you even can.

I'll post an update if I find some answers. Meanwhile, do not accept the sites saying that they use cookies. I've just let the banner hang there. Unfortunately I can't comment on any website that uses discuss for now unless I give them permission.

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0 users have voted.

Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.