Barron’s: Europe’s Data Privacy Law Has Been Tough on Companies, Lawmakers, and Consumers

The European Union’s sweeping data protection law made its debut a year ago as a panacea for beleaguered regulators and privacy-conscious consumers. And yet, so far its impact has been minimal, if not counterproductive.

The law, known as General Data Protection Regulation, underscored the boldest legislative attempt to empower citizens and put a cap on the data-collecting practices of Facebook (ticker: FB), Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google, and Twitter (TWTR).