On: GDPR: Don't Panic

[frereubu]

Law is by its nature open to interpretation and based on precedent. Otherwise there wouldn't be courts of appeal and supreme courts. What's so special about GDPR that makes you think it will be abused more than other laws?

[BjoernKW → frereubu]

What you're describing is the way common law works. Most European jurisdictions work under a civil law system.

[icebraining → BjoernKW]

It's not black and white, precedent exists in civil law systems as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precedent#Civil_law_systems

[BjoernKW → icebraining]

Yes, common law and civil law systems have been converging to some extent. In common law systems you have increasing reliance on statutory law while civil law systems increasingly make use of precedents. Still, the basic principles remain.

[raspie → frereubu]

The "special" part is that it prescribes very specific things in very ambiguous terms.

You have to change what you're doing to be compliant, but you don't know how. And for some aspects, no one knows how.

And GDPR actually has teeth. It's ripe for selective enforcement and other bureaucracy failures.