INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
The LA Times website remains closed to EU readers
Major
American news sites, including the Los Angeles Times and the New York Daily News, remain unavailable to readers in the EU, a month after new
data protection rules were implemented
The websites went dark in Europe after the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law came into force on 25 May.GDPR gives EU citizens
more rights over how their information is used.A statement on the blocked websites says the publishers are "committed to looking at options"
to allow EU access.News sites within the Tronc and Lee Enterprises media publishing groups are affected.Tronc's high-profile sites include
the Chicago Tribune, the Orlando Sentinel and the Baltimore Sun.Image copyrightGetty ImagesImage caption
New York Daily
News owner Tronc has still not complied with GDPR
The company recently sold the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego
Union-Tribune to billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong.Its websites carry the same message they did one month ago
It reads: "Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries
We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the EU market."Websites
belonging to the Lee Enterprises publishing group are also blocked.Image copyrightLA TimesImage caption
The LA Times
website carries the same message it did one month ago
The company, which runs 46 daily newspapers across 21 states,
originally said its sites were "temporarily unavailable" - but browsers in the EU are now greeted with a message informing them that access
is "unavailable due to legal reasons".Under GDPR, companies working in the EU, or providing a service to people within the EU, must show
they have a lawful basis for processing personal data, or face hefty fines.There are six legal bases for using personal data, including
getting express consent from consumers
However, in most cases companies must also show that they need the personal data for a specific purpose.In the aftermath of the law's
introduction, the Washington Post and Time were among those requiring EU users to agree to new terms.The TheIndianSubcontinent has
approached Tronc and Lee Enterprises for comment.
