Popular read-it-later service Instapaper has temporarily suspended user access across Europe as it comes to terms with the EU's impending General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws.

In a message sent to users yesterday – subsequently shared via Twitter courtesy of tech reporter Owen Williams - the bookmarking service said it needs extra time to make necessary changes to comply with GDPR before the deadline on Friday, May 25.

instapaper

Starting tomorrow May 24, 2018, access to the Instapaper service will be temporarily unavailable for residents in Europe as we continue to make changes in light of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which goes into effect May 25, 2018. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we intend to restore access as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about your account, would like us to generate an export of your saves, or want to check in on our progress, please let us know at support@help.instapaper.com. We look forward to having the same Instapaper service you know and love accessible in Europe in the very near future. Thanks for your patience.

Instapaper gave no indication how long the service would be suspended, and offered no further details on why it has waited until now to take action, almost two years after companies were informed of the GDPR timeline.

Created by Marco Arment in 2008, Instapaper was one of the first apps that implemented read-it-later functionality, and it was certainly one of the most widely used and well-known apps in the genre. The service was acquired by Pinterest in 2016, which may have complicated efforts for GDPR compliance given the potential for data sharing between the parent company and its subsidiary.

Businesses that interact with users in the EU must comply with the GDPR law, which sets out requirements on the collection, storage, and handling of personal data. Companies who fail to do so by the deadline risk heavy fines.

On Wednesday, Apple launched a new Data & Privacy website, which provides customers in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland with the ability to download all the personal information tied to their Apple ID account.

(Via The Verge.)

Top Rated Comments

SiMartin Avatar
63 months ago
"The service was acquired by Pinterest ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/23/pinterest-acquires-instapaper/') in 2016, which may have complicated efforts for GDPR compliance ..."

If anything I'd expect they'd be more prepared for GDPR if owned by a larger site such as Pinterest. Were Pinterest asleep for the past few years?

Of note, and I hadn't thought about it until today, MacRumors is one of the few businesses/sites that hasn't notified me about GDPR yet, and I'm in a European country so covered by the regulations. I presume MacRumors is going to be complying with the regulations?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
architect1337 Avatar
63 months ago
"The service was acquired by Pinterest ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/23/pinterest-acquires-instapaper/') in 2016, which may have complicated efforts for GDPR compliance ..."

If anything I'd expect they'd be more prepared for GDPR if owned by a larger site such as Pinterest. Were Pinterest asleep for the past few years?

Of note, and I hadn't thought about it until today, MacRumors is one of the few businesses/sites that hasn't notified me about GDPR yet, and I'm in a European country so covered by the regulations. I presume MacRumors is going to be complying with the regulations?
It’s a myth to think that anyone who manages data of EU citizens has to send out an email to regain consent. Providing MR can show you consented to use the service (and signing up to the forum would be implied consent), they don’t have to mail you again.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlwarlow Avatar
63 months ago
It’s a myth to think that anyone who manages data of EU citizens has to send out an email to regain consent. Providing MR can show you consented to use the service (and signing up to the forum would be implied consent), they don’t have to mail you again.
I wish a load of companies that emailed me over the last few days knew this!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
makr Avatar
63 months ago
Looks a lot like a student doing revision a day before the exam, come on you knew this day would come.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trunten Avatar
63 months ago
I’m confused as to how suspending service is any different than business as usual. Surely if they hold and or process my personal information they are beholden to the GDPR whether or not I can use their app?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nathan_393 Avatar
63 months ago
It depends what data Macrumors holds about an individual, and for what purpose. If you knew what data you were supplying and for what purpose you were doing so, then no problem. Then there's the whole accountability, privacy and right to be forgotten in there too
Updating their privacy policy doesn't require an email (I wish everybody understood this). They could put a banner on the website, or you could inquire to the technical staff here about your right to be forgotten. The GDPR is meant to protect you from malicious advertisers. When you sign up to a forum, you have already given consent, and they don't have to email you to tell you how you can be forgotten.

If you didn't give consent to the way they were using your data before, they would have to update you. But since your data is just what you supplied to them to use for a forum, and MR supposedly doesn't track you for ads, there is nothing to update.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Event Taking Place June 5 to 9

Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
CarPlay Phone Call

General Motors to Phase Out Apple CarPlay Starting This Year in EV Transition

Friday March 31, 2023 8:43 am PDT by
General Motors (GM) will phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in its vehicles starting this year, shifting to a built-in infotainment system co-developed with Google (via Reuters). GM owns Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC in the United States. It will stop offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, which goes on sale this summer. The company plans ...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year. The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Now Available for Your iPhone With These 8 New Features

Friday March 31, 2023 8:55 am PDT by
Following six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 was released to the public this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and changes added with iOS 16.4,...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Three New iOS Features Coming to Your iPhone Following Apple Music Classical

Thursday March 30, 2023 7:13 am PDT by
With the Apple Music Classical app and an Apple Pay Later early access program now available, the list of previously-announced iOS features that have yet to launch is beginning to shrink. However, there are still a few features we are waiting for. Below, we have recapped three more iOS features that are expected to launch in 2023, including an Apple Card savings account for Daily Cash,...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Kuo: Apple Mixed-Reality Headset May Not Appear at WWDC as Mass Production Pushed Back Yet Again

Thursday March 30, 2023 4:50 am PDT by
Apple has again pushed back mass production of its mixed-reality headset and the device may not appear at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane In a tweet, Kuo explained that Apple "isn't very optimistic" about whether the headset will be able to create an "iPhone moment." As a result,...