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Comment by teamhappy | Hacker News Reader

Why would GDPR apply to the internet archive? It's a US based nonprofit. As far as I can tell they don't do anything that even remotely hints at them providing services to EU residents (like offering their site in European languages, having the €-symbol somewhere on their donations page or any of the other more subtle things mentioned in GDPR).

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Is English not a European language?

Doesn't matter. Using the English language doesn't imply that you're offering goods or services to individuals in the EU.

No more than Spanish, and you wouldn't be making this argument wrt a Mexican company.

Not since England left the EU.

Britain is still in the EU and GDPR will apply there.

And Ireland?

Ireland's language is actually Gaelic.

It's the only country in the EU that does not require it's language in translations because even in Ireland nearly no one speaks it.

Ireland has two official languages defined in the constitution – Irish and English.

I think he refers to the fact that each EU country notifies one official language and only UK picked English. But I guess they have found, or will find, a way to maintaing things as they are.

http://eltelawjournal.hu/what-language-for-europe/

Because the data they have might have been produced by EU citizens.

So what? The EU does not get to make laws for other people. That's why we have countries.

You are missing the point. The EU makes laws that govern - and at least try to - protect its citizens. If a document on the archive is created by a European citizen, then it is under EU law. That's why every company in the world right now that deals with European citizens is working on supporting GDPR. That also applies here.

yeah, but GDPR doesn't affect copyright.

Nitpick: EU residents, not citizens, as far as I understand it (the text says people "in the Union", and doesn't mention citizens at all).

Not quite. The EU might want that but it gets into jurisdiction.

The EU cannot enforce its law on entities that are entirely US based. It can only enforce it on non-EU sites if that site has some sort of business that’s within the EU (like offices or employees).

The EU can say that some businesses are so uncompliant with GDPR that they're not able to be used by EU companies. It seems weird to chose to limit your market just because you don't want to protect user data.