Dear Doctor, I Have GDPR Fatigue

We've updated our privacy policy

We're updating our privacy policy

Terms of Service Update Notice

[Some Site] is updating its Privacy policy

Important updates to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

As the deadline for GDPR compliance looms, like a student cramming for a test or finishing an assignment the night before it's due, it seems many companies and services are clamouring to let you know they've updated their privacy policies to align with GDPR.

The General Data Protection Regulation will go into effect across the European Union on Friday. While the GDPR is for Europeans, the changes it brings are to the benefit of non-Europeans as well. The first change (a sane one) is that companies need your consent to collect your data. The second one (and also a biggie) is that you should be required to share only data that is necessary to make their services work.

The GDPR regulations are a great thing, make no mistake. But, the volume of emails I have received in the past week alone is not only overwhelming, it's spam. Just today I counted 12 emails from the trove of services I've signed up to.

The earliest emails I received I read, but it has reached the point where I just delete them instead of opening them. I know I should read the privacy policy changes, but I am sick and tired of hearing about GDPR, like a bad dream, I just want it to end already.

As it currently stands, if I were to read every single privacy policy and terms of service update, it would take me weeks because I have no lie probably received in excess of 100 emails (I have a heavy online presence).

I am starting to get GDPR fatigue, is there some kind of pill I can take to manage the side effects?