TL;DR: I think that the features used by recommendation systems should be configurable by end users receiving recommendations, and that this ability should be enforced by policy. Just as the GDPR protects a user’s ability to choose which cookies are enabled, a user should be able to pick what data goes into any algorithmically generated feed they view. The legislation would also enforce a minimum granularity for dividing feature inputs.
Using GDPR cookie regulation, one of the most obnoxious regulations of the last decade with an incredibly silly amount of negative externalities, as the central example, does not make me hopeful about your models of what makes good policy.
I think GDPR cookie regulation is bad because it forces users to make the choice, thus adding an obnoxious layer to using any website. The actual granular control to users I don’t think is a problem?
As I say towards the end, I don’t think we should force users to choose upon using a website/app, but only allow for more granular control of what data will be used in what feeds.
Supporting GDPR easily doubles the cost of many software projects and introduces unclear liability to a huge number of organizations who cannot afford that.
It’s an incredible pain to basically every organization I know of, including in situations that you really wouldn’t expect it to (one example I recently heard: “organization cannot integrate sensitive external complaints about attendees into the admission process of their events because complaints would constitute private information which they then would need to share with the attendees the complaints are about”).
Never thought of that particular issue, and I grant that I basically haven’t thought at all about how this proposal could be abused by people trying to stymie any system they don’t like.
Yeah in retrospect using the GDPR in the TL;DR blurb was a pretty bad unforced error. I was more using it as evidence that such proposals can be passed. However, I think I didn’t really justify why regulation is needed beyond “governments might want to do it, and consumers might want it”, which you correctly point out is insufficient given the amount of regulatory cost these kinds of things inevitably bring.
Need to figure out if this half baked idea merits more time in the oven...
Using GDPR cookie regulation, one of the most obnoxious regulations of the last decade with an incredibly silly amount of negative externalities, as the central example, does not make me hopeful about your models of what makes good policy.
I think GDPR cookie regulation is bad because it forces users to make the choice, thus adding an obnoxious layer to using any website. The actual granular control to users I don’t think is a problem? As I say towards the end, I don’t think we should force users to choose upon using a website/app, but only allow for more granular control of what data will be used in what feeds.
Supporting GDPR easily doubles the cost of many software projects and introduces unclear liability to a huge number of organizations who cannot afford that.
It’s an incredible pain to basically every organization I know of, including in situations that you really wouldn’t expect it to (one example I recently heard: “organization cannot integrate sensitive external complaints about attendees into the admission process of their events because complaints would constitute private information which they then would need to share with the attendees the complaints are about”).
Never thought of that particular issue, and I grant that I basically haven’t thought at all about how this proposal could be abused by people trying to stymie any system they don’t like. Yeah in retrospect using the GDPR in the TL;DR blurb was a pretty bad unforced error. I was more using it as evidence that such proposals can be passed. However, I think I didn’t really justify why regulation is needed beyond “governments might want to do it, and consumers might want it”, which you correctly point out is insufficient given the amount of regulatory cost these kinds of things inevitably bring. Need to figure out if this half baked idea merits more time in the oven...