EU’s GDPR enforcement now in, LA Times & Chicago Tribune currently out
Some of you may have received various notices on the internet from companies about their data collection/privacy policies (I received several in the past few days), and most likely it is because of a European directive.
This European Union rule, with enforcement starting today, is affecting internet sites around the world, including US-based news sites:
GDPR: US news sites unavailable to EU users over data protection rules
25 May 2018
A number of high-profile US news websites are temporarily unavailable in Europe after new European Union rules on data protection came into effect.
The Chicago Tribune and LA Times were among those posting messages saying they were currently unavailable in most European countries.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives EU citizens more rights over how their information is used.
The measure is an effort by EU lawmakers to limit tech firms’ powers.
Under the rules, companies working in the EU – or any association or club in the bloc – must get express consent to collect personal information, or face hefty fines.
Which sites are unavailable?
News sites within the Tronc and Lee Enterprises media publishing groups were affected.
Tronc’s high-profile sites include the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Orlando Sentinel and Baltimore Sun.
Its message read: “Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market.”
Lee Enterprises publishes 46 daily newspapers across 21 states.
Its statement read: “We’re sorry. This site is temporarily unavailable. We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time.” …
What is GDPR?
Lawmakers in Brussels passed the new legislation in April 2016, and the full text of the regulation has been published online.
Misusing or carelessly handling personal information will bring fines of up to 20 millions euros ($23.4m;£17.5m), or 4% of a company’s global turnover. …
Companies must be more active in gaining consent to collect and use data too, in theory spelling an end to simple “I agree with terms and conditions” tick boxes.
Companies must also tell all affected users about any data breach, and tell the overseeing authority within 72 hours. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44248448
Now, before going further, let me state that neither the COGwriter.com nor any of the CCOG sites involuntarily collect personal data–nor had any “data breach.”
But to comply with at least the intent of GDPR, we updated yesterday to the latest version of Word Press on all of our sites as Word Press states that this is the most appropriate version now under GDPR rules.
We also added the following at the COGwriter.com home page yesterday:
Privacy/GDPR Policy
We do not utilize cookies or otherwise attempt to take personal data.
We do not transfer data to third parties on EU or other citizens. We do not sell email addresses or other data.
We only collect data you intentionally supply. For example, if you sign up to receive the daily news emails or the CCOG weekly Letter to the Brethren, we keep the data you intentionally supply so that you can receive those emails–but again, you need to initiate that. The data is not shared for other uses.
Users of this website are agreeing to accept our privacy and data policies.
We also added the following to the CCOG.org home page yesterday:
Those are our policies and since we do NOT actually involuntarily collect personal/third party data, we probably are essentially exempt from GDPR anyway. But decided that we would tell everyone that we do not collect personal data on visitors to our websites.
Yesterday, I mentioned GDPR in the CCOG Letter to the Brethren: May 24, 2018.
So, why mention any of this?
Because, GDPR is a step by the EU to set standards for the world.
Even the UK, which is expected to leave the EU says it plans to comply with GDPR after Brexit.
Now while it is logical that companies properly handle data breaches, GDPR shows that Europe is influencing world standards and hence is controlling part of the internet in ways no other entity has tried to do. Expect more European controls in the future (cf. Revelation 13:16-18; Amos 8:11-12).
More internet control is expected.
The Prophet Amos was inspired to record the following:
11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)
Notice that the Bible tells of a time that will come when the word of God will not be found. For years I have warned from this COGwriter Church of God News page that Amos 8:11-12 will have at least part of its fulfillment because truth will be taken off the internet. In the 21st century, the internet is accessed by people in every country, and thus some type of internet restriction/suspension/site removal with governmental sanction is coming.
We are getting closer to this time of Amos 8:11-12.
That is part of why we in the Continuing Church of God are preparing for the ‘short work’ (Romans 9:28) and the coming ‘famine of the word.’
The prophesied famine of the word is coming.
More governmental controls over the internet, including those that promoters claim is for the greater good, are coming. GDPR is helping set the stage for more restrictions to come.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened? Here is a link to a related video sermon: The Past and Future Inquisition.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
What is the Origin of the Cross as a ‘Christian’ Symbol? Was the cross used as a venerated symbol by the early Church? Two related YouTube videos would be Beware of the ‘Ecumenical Cross’ and Origin of the Cross.
The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA Can what happened with the leaks of what the NSA has done help the USA to be taken over? What does the Bible teach that seems to be related to this? Here is a related YouTube video titled Are the Snowden NSA leaks leading to the destruction of the USA?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 teaches “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come ” will be fulfilled and RCG is not the group doing this. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing? This is a sermonette length video.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes]
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan. Famine of the Word? God inspired the Prophet Amos to write that the time would come when there would be a famine of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11-12). Are we seeing anything that is leading up to this? Is the Christian message already too ‘politically incorrect’?
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them there.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.
CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, K
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