I am pretty sure that there will be demands later, at least for some. they did a pretty clever thing though - pay 200 in 2 days or it will become 500 in two days more - past that, it gets published.
If I chose to interact with them they have a legitimate claim on what ever I do during that interaction.
The problem is they are impossible to avoid. I was listening to a security expert on a podcast talking about trying to avoid Google - and he lasted something like 6 weeks before he accidentally used a Google API. he said it was incredibly difficult (he knew what he was doing) and very, very limiting.
The "passive" collection is amazing.
That is supposed to be the most private place we have in this society and the company that let it get away from them should be destroyed.
Yep, I think they aren't going much further - except possibly to court.
I wonder if you can deduct blackmail payments? Or if you can set up your payments on a recurring basis? :)
In Finland, the blackmailers probably will have to pay the appropriate tax too :D
It is almost impossible to avoid Google and Amazon online. Google, currently, has more than 160 service URLs which need to be blocked on firewall level. As soon as you do so, 20-30% of the internet becomes unusable because they rely on Google Cloud or other offerings.
Same with Amazon Web Services (AWS) which powers always more internet functionality due to its relatively cheap cost. Functionality going from storage, via computing units (CPUs), to network balancing and quite some more too.
Millions of sites break as soon as you block those 2 platforms in your firewall. The Internet almost breaks so to say.
Yep - the only way to effectively avoid is to be a non-user of the internet and live in a cave - and never come out to be seen by the satellites.