See, while I don’t like the invasiveness of it, that’s also their business model. If they put it behind a subscription instead, it wouldn’t be right to say “this information is important and needs to be available, stop charging for it,” when charging for it is part of why they provide it. Private companies have a right to not do business with those that won’t pay for their services, even if that payment is your data.
Europeans (and everyone, morally) have a right to privacy that conflicts with the method of payment. This website resolved that, if it can’t get paid in it’s chosen form, it won’t provide its service. That’s fine. I don’t support this decision, but it’s not
If this information is vital to the public, that’s a separate issue entirely, and it needs to be available in some form that isn’t sold. We can’t rely on a private entity not employed by a government to do this of its own free will.
See, while I don’t like the invasiveness of it, that’s also their business model. If they put it behind a subscription instead, it wouldn’t be right to say “this information is important and needs to be available, stop charging for it,” when charging for it is part of why they provide it. Private companies have a right to not do business with those that won’t pay for their services, even if that payment is your data.
Europeans (and everyone, morally) have a right to privacy that conflicts with the method of payment. This website resolved that, if it can’t get paid in it’s chosen form, it won’t provide its service. That’s fine. I don’t support this decision, but it’s not
If this information is vital to the public, that’s a separate issue entirely, and it needs to be available in some form that isn’t sold. We can’t rely on a private entity not employed by a government to do this of its own free will.