You Know GDPR Is Good Based on Who Hates It

Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is working effectively, as evidenced by the intense criticism it receives from US tech companies and libertarian commentators who fear losing their power to collect and exploit user data without consent. The notorious cookie banners that frustrate users are not a flaw of GDPR but rather deliberate dark patterns designed by tech companies to obscure their surveillance practices, yet they inadvertently educate the public about data collection. The author argues that widespread hatred from powerful interests is actually a reliable metric that GDPR is succeeding in its goal of giving people control over their personal data.