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Comment by rwmj | Hacker News Reader

It is real. I just got an email about this from Google about my gmail account:

- Your service provider and data controller is now Google LLC: Because the UK is leaving the EU, we’ve updated our Terms so that a United States-based company, Google LLC, is now your service provider instead of Google Ireland Limited. Google LLC will also become the data controller responsible for your information and complying with applicable privacy laws. We’re making similar changes to the Terms of Service for YouTube, YouTube Paid Services and Google Play. These changes to our Terms and privacy policy don’t affect your privacy settings or the way that we treat your information (see the privacy policy [link redacted] for details). As a reminder, you can always visit your Google Account < https://myaccount.google.com > to review your privacy settings and manage how your data is used.

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> These changes to our Terms and privacy policy don’t affect your privacy settings or the way that we treat your information.

This is such a blatant lie what the hell. The only reason for this move is specifically to treat your information in ways that are not legal now.

Not necessarily. They might treat information the same way but generate different paperwork or have different levels of risk from frivolous lawsuits.

Alternate interpretation: it doesn't affect the way they treat your information because they weren't going to follow GDPR anyway.

This is not a lie if these changes do not do anything but later ones will.

It seems very early to be making changes like this.

Google must really benefit somehow from the change, otherwise they could leave it until much later in the year, and see what (if any) changes Parliament makes to privacy and data protection law in the UK.

GDPR compliance is expensive; every account not in the regime saves Google costs.

I can tell you that two FAANGs implement GDPR compliance for everyone because they didn’t want to risk getting a user’s EU status wrong.

Which two, and do you have a source?

Linkedin for sure, I used to work there so I can vouch for it.

Linkedin isn't faang.

That's not a FAANG though.

FAANG is just a buzzword acronym, a hook to pull in investors.

LinkedIn is Microsoft, which should also be included given it's scale. It should be FAMANG.

But then does Microsoft implement GDPR globally, not just its LinkedIn subsidiary?

I agree about the buzzword part, but the parent did specify two FAANGs. I'd think it would be interesting to hear which two since it's obviously not Google (as the article hints that they want to move data out of the EU).

Also, the FAANG expression didn't start around scale, if that was the case netflix wouldn't have been included as early as the expression was coined. The expression was about developer compensation. That seems to have changed recently(-ish) though and now the expression is more like "unicorn" instead of just the specific companies that make up the acronym.

If I'd have to guess, the two that do less or no advertising and thus benefit less from your data...

(EDIT: That would indeed be Apple and Netflix, as hinted by another comment).

Pardon my cynicism if I think it's likely Apple and Netflix.

And they probably do that for everyone only because it doesn't eat into the main profit generators in their business models. Not many marketers paying Netflix to advertise their new natural soap line to targeted prospects I'd imagine.

One is Apple or Netflix and the other isn’t. I don’t feel comfortable sharing more specificity than that.

Also probably having two different codebases to handle data compliance is probably not too easy to support.

That certainly has been how I've seen it play out. Which makes sense as easier to have one rule to fit all and if that rule is based upon the worst case of every countries data laws then you are somewhat more future proofed. After all, not many countries do laws than are demanding their citizens have less privacy - at least in the public sector remit of laws.

In which way?

In no longer being able to use a customer's data as their own.

In what way is it early? UK left the European Union late last year. Since then there only is a temporary agreement in place, with a deadline later this year. Given the seemingly strength of the Prime Minister (see recent cabinet reshuffling) and his unwillingness to extend companies doing business in Britain have to prepare.

February 1st was officially the "first day" out.

It's a bit of a red-herring because the only thing that changed on Febuary 1st was that we're no longer having representation in the EU parliament, until the end of the year we're still following all the same laws and regulations.

And that assumes that the transition period is not extended. (Which it doesn't seem likely to be, frankly).

I wonder if that means that since they're moving their customers therefore revenue to the US, they will pay taxes there too, instead of Ireland.

Probably not though. Flags of convenience is the Google way.

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