Companies are already blocking IP addresses from the EU due to the new GDPR regulations. As restrictions and laws increase (which seems to be happening already), it will make sense to just block access rather than deal with draconian regulations.
The end result will be a separate Internet for people in the EU because so many sites will be unavailable to them.
Maybe they will block access at the beginning, but here in Europe we have a huge market and I do not really believe that companies will stay away just because they cannot steal our data. If so, then we will be very happy about it and someone else will get their pie slice..
It's not about 'stealing data'. It's the vague regulations and overreach by the EU that will stop companies and investors from entering the EU market.
"If so, then we will be very happy about it and someone else will get their pie slice.."
An interesting unintended consequence is that small companies will be pushed out of the market in favor of large companies that have the money to pay for all of the legal hoops you have to jump through.
A few large players dominating the market is not really in the best interest of anyone...except the companies that are able to keep out all of their competitors.
This. GDPR is not merely a list of bad things not to do, compliance requires a lot of new work and risking huge penalties if someone decides your lawyer should have interpreted the (untested!) law differently.
The end result will be a separate Internet for people in the EU because so many sites will be unavailable to them.