With data being generated by ordinary individuals and traded by servers around the world, only companies have had the power to process and control the billions of bytes of information online. And most of that processing power has been dedicated to making money, usually in the form of advertisements. But now the European Union is preparing to enact legislation that could give users the ability to opt out of sharing their info with advertisers. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) also addresses the export of personal data outside the EU, and the increased rights for EU netizens have produced an upbeat response on Social. “ #GDPR” scores 64 percent positive sentiments, though not everyone will be pleased. According to Deutsche Bank analyst Lloyd Walmsley, the GDPR could wipe out two percent of Google’s revenue once it takes effect. Walmsley estimates that as many as 30 percent of EU residents might opt out of sharing the data that powers Google’s advertising business. –Hugo Guzman
Republished from 30dB