With the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) now in effect, any company collecting and using data on consumers in the EU is required to give users the choice of whether they agree or disagree with a company's privacy policy.
The GDPR regulations empower citizens by enabling them to file complaints against companies that are not in compliance, which is exactly what Reuters reported that Max Schrems, a privacy activist in Austria, has done.
Schrems, who has reportedly filed legal cases against Facebook, Google, Instagram, and WhatsApp, told Reuters that US tech giants are trying to force users to consent to their new privacy policies without providing a "yes or no" option.
Schrems has long been awaiting today's deadline and is no stranger to relying on the law to protect personal data. The South China Morning Post reported that he won a landmark European court ruling in 2015 and recently established a charity called None of Your Business to prevent tech giants from harvesting consumer data.
The impact of the regulations is also notable with US companies that are not reportedly breaking the law. TwitterMoments wrote, "A number of high-profile websites, including the Chicago Times and LA Times, are temporarily unavailable in Europe after new European Union rules on data protection came into effect. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives people in the area more rights over how their information is used. Companies that fail to comply with the new law are subject to fines of up to 4% of global revenue."
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