Why is "Legitimate Interest" a Non-story?
Rich writes:
This is a special submission because it does not point to a story, but points out that there is no story.
On nearly every mainstream website, we are now presented with a screen for privacy settings. A list of data collecting vendors is shown, with a switch next to them, and there is a master switch "Disable All". Often, the master switch is not needed, because all the vendors in the list are already disabled. Once clicking "Save & Exit", we can proceed to the page. However, there is also, in very small text, a link to "Legitimate Interest", which takes us to a second list of data collecting vendors. This list is longer, the switches are all enabled, and there is no master switch. There may even be a mention that our data is going to be processed outside of regulations.
Aside from the time lost by clicking through the pop-up screens instead of respecting the browser do-not-track settings, this dark-pattern cheating should be of concern to any privacy advocate. Yet there is no sign of any awareness. Searching for the term "Legitimate Interest" comes up with only small snippets which seem to be mostly geared to advertisers. An occasional story (like https://www.huntonprivacyblog.com/2020/12/01/dutch-court-overturns-dpa-fine-on-legitimate-interest-legal-basis/) may point to legal details.
With the scope of the issue, one would expect privacy advocates, or even journalists worth their job title, to be up in arms about it. But nothing can be seen anywhere.
Fellow Soylentils, why is it so?
[Ed note: Is this common? I do not recall ever seeing this. Then again, I generally run my browser with Javascript disabled. Would that explain it? --martyb]
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.