Dissecting the Terms-Change Playbook
The structure of this change is cut from the same cloth as many companies' prior moves: the notice is buried in the legal language of emails and pop-ups, "continued use is deemed consent," an opt-out switch exists but takes several layers of settings to reach, and once the deadline passes, existing data is handled under the new rules. Each step looks compliant on its own, but combined it's a machine for harvesting defaults—the vendor is betting that the vast majority of users won't complete that opt-out procedure before the deadline, and that bet is nearly a sure thing.
A Checklist for the User Side
The advice distilled in the discussion is pragmatic: first, before the deadline, check this service's privacy settings and set the training-related switches to the position you accept; second, add "data used for training" to your evaluation criteria for choosing any service, and for enterprise users write it into procurement contracts; third, keep realistic expectations about data you've already handed over—opting out usually only covers the future, and the past is hard to reclaim. The bigger picture: in the war over defaults, regulation is the only variable that can change the balance of power, and EU-style "consent-off-by-default" rules are becoming the focus of everyone's lobbying.
via: Hacker News