How The GDPR Is Still Ruining Christmas

from the privacy-what? dept

Late last year, I wrote about how the GDPR almost ruined Christmas in one German town, where it was determined that the annual tradition of kids putting their wishes on a tree in the center of town (to be fulfilled by local town officials) would violate the GDPR. Some people did figure out a "workaround" involving some pointless bureaucracy in getting parents to first sign "consent" forms to allow the town to do the same thing they've always done for years without a problem.

However, now we have another story of the GDPR ruining another Christmas tradition in a different way. This tradition? Taking back the awful presents people give you that you don't actually want. At least some retailers are telling people that doing so under the GDPR requires them to inform the original purchaser that you really didn't like their gift:

While the pilgrimage to take back garish jumpers and superfluous socks is a new year's tradition as familiar as taking down the Christmas tree, data rules now oblige internet retailers to tell a buyer when an item they have bought is returned - regardless of whether it was a gift.

In some cases, companies are warning customers that they should inform the gift-giver themselves that they are making the return - before the company has to let them know.

In one instant, a father returning a child's coat to Boden was told that the original buyer would be informed 'due to data protection regulations'.

I'm sure some can try to spin this as a way of forcing people to be a bit more honest about not liking the awful sweater their dear old aunt bought them for the holidays, but, really... how exactly is this protecting anyone's "data"? If anything, it seems to be violating more people's privacy in revealing what they do with the crap presents they never wanted in the first place.

The article notes that not all retailers are doing this, but it does appear many believe it's necessary:

Eleven of the 30 retailers approached by The Mail on Sunday said they would have to inform buyers if gifts they had bought were returned.

The article does quote some "data protection" officials saying that retailers don't need to do this, but at the very least it highlights the same thing we keep pointing out about the GDPR and other attempts to regulate the internet. When these grand sweeping regulations are written in ways that are so vague and broad -- with such massive punishment for getting things wrong -- no one should be surprised when the end result is utterly ridiculous.

Filed Under: christmas, gdpr, gifts, privacy, returns

How The GDPR Nearly Ruined Christmas

from the this-is-getting-silly dept

While the thinking behind the GDPR may seem sensible, time and time again we hear stories about how, in practice, it's a complete disaster. Some of that may be because of people misinterpreting the law. Some of it may be because the law is being abused. And some of it may be because the law is too vague. But some of it is just because the law tries to do way too much. So, today, we have a little story of how the GDPR nearly ruined Christmas for a small town in Germany.

The town of Roth has a long-standing tradition where children would write down their Christmas wishes, which would then be placed on a tree in the market. The city council would read the wishes and try to get the children what they wanted. Nice, wholesome, holiday good deeds and all. But... it became tricky under various privacy regulations, starting with Germany's own data privacy law and, later, the GDPR, because in order to get your wishes fulfilled, children had to provide their names and identifying information... and that's a big no-no under the law:

That legislation states that parents of minors have to provide consent to the use of their kids' data. Organizations that fail to comply face big financial penalties.

Providing proof of this was deemed too onerous by the council and the city decided against festive wish lists for 2018.

"The yearly trips to the fire brigade unit and the mayor were especially popular with children" Melanie Hanker, who works on events and public relations in the town's administration, told Die Welt last week. "Without the wishing lists, both these events will not take place this year," she added. Hanker refused CNN's request for an interview.

After initially cancelling this traditional wish-making and wish-granting, thankfully, a local radio station worked out a solution:

It created a wish list, which included a parental consent disclaimer, which can be printed from their website and put in the wishing box at the Christmas market, which opens on Thursday.

"This way, the wishes can be submitted and collected from Father Christmas also this year," the city said in a statement on Tuesday.

So... at least Christmas wasn't totally ruined, but now the simple process of making a wish involves a silly unnecessary extra tradition: having parents sign legal consent disclaimers to allow their children to make wishes that they hope the city council will fulfill. It's a Christmas miracle bureaucracy!

Filed Under: bureaucracy, christmas, data protection, eu, gdpr, germany, parental consent, privacy, regulations, roth, wishes

DailyDirt: Fact-Checking Some Christmas Traditions

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

We've noticed some Christmas dinner traditions that might sound a little strange. But there are some traditions around this time of year that are curious enough to warrant some quick fact-checking. Whatever the case may be, enjoy whatever traditions you follow!

• Is Chinese food really the most popular restaurant choice for Christmas? A quick look at some Google search trends shows that searches for Chinese food spike around the Christmas season. And apparently, a growing number of kosher Chinese restaurants serve 'Jewish Christmas' meals without pork or shellfish. [url]
• The origin of candy canes isn't clear, but they might date back to the 17th century. Candy canes may have started out as straight sticks, and there's little evidence that they're in a J-shape for Jesus. There is a patented candy cane machine that improved the process for making the J-bend without breaking the candy, filed back in 1957. So the "modern" candy cane can be traced back to a Catholic inventor -- Father Gregory Keller. [url]
• During Justice Elena Kagan's 2010 confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court, Kagan testified that she was probably at a Chinese restaurant for Christmas. While other kinds of restaurants (besides Chinese) are actually open on Christmas, it seems that Chinese food has evolved to cater to American tastes. [url]

After you've finished checking out those links, take 10% off any $50+ order from our Daily Deals using the promo code DAILYDIRT.

Filed Under: candy cane, christmas, dinner, elena kagan, food, gregory keller, keller machine, kosher, traditions

DailyDirt: Christmas Dinner Isn't The Same Without...

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

If you're getting ready for a holiday meal meal with family, you might be planning anything from going to a Chinese restaurant to an elaborate home-cooked turkey. Whatever the case may be, there are more than a few holiday traditions out there. Check out a few of these delicious dishes.

• Here's a Christmas tradition that you might not be aware of: buying a live carp, having it live in your bathtub for a while until Christmas Eve, then serving it for dinner. Apparently, several European countries have practiced this (eg. Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Croatia), and it's a ritual that's not even restricted to Christianity. [url]
• In the Philippines, the Christmas Eve feast after midnight mass is rellenong manok -- a stuffed boneless chicken. This dish is related to the Spanish pollo relleno, but it has changed significantly over the years with influences from American cuisine. [url]
• In Japan, KFC's successful Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii! (Kentucky for Christmas!) campaign from 1974 has created a tradition of Japanese people eating far more fried chicken than anyone would otherwise expect. Only about one percent of the Japanese population is Christian, but people stand in line for this commercial tradition. [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: carp, christmas, culture, dinner, kfc, kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii, meals, rellenong manok, traditions
Companies: kfc

DailyDirt: Spoiler Alert... Santa Claus Ain't Real

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

We've mentioned before how Santa is not quite believable, even though there are various explanations trying to defend his existence. If you have young children, you might be debating when to reveal the truth behind Santa. Maybe it doesn't really matter. Here are just a few links related to parenting kids, and maybe your kids will find out about Santa on their own someday.

• Children generally stop believing in Santa Claus by age 8 or 9, according to psychology researchers. Kids aren't as gullible as you might think, though, and they'll start asking pointed questions about Santa's extraordinary abilities at very young ages. [url]
• Kids are starting to trust search engines over asking their parents. In a survey of 500 kids, over half of them preferred asking Google over their parents when it came to seeking answers. So Google will probably be the one to tell them that Santa isn't real. [url]
• Some parents have an urge to spoil their children rotten, and if you're one of these folks, a few tips could break your bad habits. Buying toys for your kids doesn't make up for not spending time with your kids.... [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post via StumbleUpon.

Filed Under: bah humbug, christmas, parenting, santa, spoiled kids, xmas

Game Developer Deploys Interesting Sales Strategy By Telling Fans Not To Buy His Game As A Gift For Others

from the huh? dept

This being a site focused in part on emerging business models, we tend to see a wide variety of new and innovative attempts to monetize artistic talents. There can be many specific expressions when it comes to these new models, but we like to think that the best of them fall under the more general concept of connecting with fans and giving them a reason to buy. That's what makes one game developer's strategy for success so completely original: he's connecting with his fans and telling them not to buy. And should you think I'm somehow exaggerating or misinterpreting what the creator of the game Frontiers actually said, here's some text from the post he put on the Steam community site, entitled: PSA: Do NOT buy this game as Christmas gift.

Hello, everyone - Lars here with a friendly developer PSA. A lot of folks have told me: I'm buying this game for my kid/friend/spouse for Christmas, they love exploration games! And I say the same thing every time: DON'T!*

Now, I already know what you're thinking: holy crap, those idiots on cable news who said that there's a war on Christmas were right! No, no, dear readers. Lars isn't some anti-Christmas Scrooge, he's just concerned that people will give the beta version of the game as a gift to unsuspecting loved ones who won't understand that it isn't complete and that this will somehow undo the universe.

The only people who will love it are players who seek it out for themselves, because it's NOT FINISHED. Your kid/friend/spouse will just be annoyed with you. I'm proud of this game, and with everyone's help I believe it's going to be great - but it's not great yet, so in the meantime get your kid/friend/spouse Dragon Age or The Binding of Isaac or something, trust me. The December release date unavoidably puts Christmas gift in people's minds. That's why I'm only releasing a trickle of press copies till after the new year. People are prone to impulse buy right now, and you don't want people impulse buying an Early Access game, especially not for others.

I mean, look, it sounds like Lars is doing everyone a favor here, but this is all equal parts insulting and business-dumb. I'd wager that most gamers that are diving into Steam's Early Access beta games probably have a firm understanding that these games are unfinished and quite possibly buggy. That was certainly the case when I got in early on Starbound, for instance. But that didn't stop me from gifting the game to my brother, because I'm a thinking human person who can determine for whom gifting the game would be appropriate. I certainly didn't need the game developer to tell me to simply not buy the game for anyone for Christmas.

Which brings us to a general maxim for anyone selling anything: blanket requests that your product not be bought probably aren't the best of ideas. Just a little Christmas pro-tip from me to you.

Filed Under: beta, christmas, frontiers, games, gifts, presents, video games

Awesome Stuff: Unconventional Christmas

from the tis-the-season dept

The holidays are almost here, so for this week's awesome stuff, we're looking at some innovative or just plain unconventional Christmas crowdfunding campaigns.

AURA: Wireless Christmas Lights

Wireless power could change the word, but it's still nowhere near that point — so for now, you'll have to settle for it changing your Christmas tree. The AURA system consists of a transmitter ring that hides near the base of the tree, and a set of wirelessly-powered LED baubles to hang on the rest of it. In a cool design choice, the ornaments showcase their internal circuitry rather than hiding it away. And, of course, the whole thing is controllable via smartphone.

The Krampus Beer Stein

Krampus — the Germanic folk monster that traditionally accompanies St. Nick, doling out punishment where gifts are undeserved — has been undergoing something of a cultural renaissance online, with a new generation latching on to the dark side of Christmas mythology. The Krampus Beer Stein is just one of several Krampus items I've seen around this season, but it's one of the coolest, featuring detailed original artwork by legendary illustrator Mitch O'Connell.

Minimal Nativity Scene

While the rebirth of the Krampus is a new trend in Christmas decor, the nativity scene is one of the oldest. This minimalist take on the classic might appear to be some sort of snide religious critique (and might raise more money from the online community if it were), but in fact it's a design experiment inspired by the artist's lifelong fascination with popular depictions of Biblical figures in ornaments and consumer products. Why, she wondered, is Mary's dress always blue? Why is the baby Jesus always blonde? Why do the staple design choices change from country to country? Who makes these decisions, and how? Her response: an ultra-simplified nativity scene consisting of ten labelled blocks of beech wood.

Filed Under: awesome stuff, christmas, crowdfunding, holiday

Announcing The 2014 Holiday Sale At The Techdirt Insider Shop

from the reason-to-give dept

The past couple of years, we've had a special Holiday Bundle over at the Insider Shop, but this year we're trying something a bit different: 10% off everything storewide, with the coupon code HOLIDAY2014.

(Okay, not quite everything: the discount doesn't apply to monthly subscription products. But it does apply to the yearlong subscription specials for Watercooler and Behind The Curtain memberships, as well as the non-recurring one-year Crystal Ball subscription. And remember, all these items can be applied to your own Techdirt account or gifted to someone else.)

We know we're a little bit late getting this out there, but there's still time to order Techdirt gear for Christmas! Domestically, for USPS Standard Shipping, orders made by December 15th (that's next Monday) should arrive in time, and there may be express options available depending on your location. For more detailed information, consult this shipping calendar, and try to order soon just to be safe!

Filed Under: christmas, holiday, insider shop, sale

Pitch Perfect Satire: NSA Intercepted Children's Letters To Santa

from the cookies-is-the-interception dept

That Anonymous Coward points us to what may be the most pitch perfect satire of the NSA's activities, in a write-up about how the NSA intercepted children's letters to Santa, over at the Duffel Blog. The concept is obvious from the title, but it's the attention to detail, matching almost point for point the kinds of things that have been revealed that the NSA actually does, that make the satire so perfect.

The documents describe an operation known as MILK COOKIES, based out of Fort Meade and run in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service. COOKIES is the interception of the letters while MILK feeds them through a complex series of algorithms to spot any hidden messages.

Agency director Gen. Keith Alexander had previously testified to Congress in 2011 that the NSA would occasionally collect letters addressed to Santa, but insisted that it was totally accidental and that no one was actually reading or storing them.

The NSA is prohibited from directly monitoring American citizens under both Executive Order 12333 and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. However, because the letters are addressed to the North Pole, which falls outside of U.S. territory, they are considered potential foreign intelligence signals which the NSA is authorized to intercept.

The article includes the history of the program, discusses the ELFCHELON data center in the North Pole, and even discusses how the NSA has "routinely hacked Santa’s Naughty and Nice List for any information on world leaders." As we head into a little break, this seems like an appropriate post to go out on...

Filed Under: christmas, letters to santa, nsa, satire, surveillance

Holiday Deals In The Techdirt Insider Shop

from the tis-(almost)-the-season dept

With the holiday season upon us, we figured it was time to offer some special deals over at our Insider Shop — just in case you've got someone on your list this year who would appreciate some Techdirt gear or a subscription package (or if you feel like giving yourself a gift this season). So today we're unveiling two limited-time offerings. First up, the Holiday Bundle:

For only $99 (over $50 off the regular price), the Holiday Bundle includes:

• A Techdirt zip hoodie
• A Techdirt coffee mug
• Your choice of the DMCA Tee, the Seized Tee or the Logo Tee
• Access to the Insider Chat for one year
• Access to the Techdirt Crystal Ball for one year
• 5 First Word/Last Word credits per month for one year
• An Insider Badge on your profile and comments
• A group Google Hangout with Mike Masnick

This package will only be around for a limited time, and some sizes are already selling out, so if you want one, don't wait too long to order! We're also happy to announce a special deal on multiple t-shirts, for those who want a complete set or need a few to give out as gifts:

If you're ordering t-shirts, the bundle or any other gear as a gift, please order soon to ensure shipping in time for the holidays! We've spoken to our fulfillment partner and determined that orders placed by December 14th (in the US) and December 9th (internationally) should arrive on time with all shipping options, and depending on your location there may be express shipping available, too—but ordering early is always safer!

Filed Under: christmas, holiday, insider shop, techdirt gear