What German startups really think of web privacy rules

“Playing by the EU data security laws is like showing up to the grand prix with a race car missing one wheel.”

The U.S. and European Union have very different levels of data protection and online privacy rules, something that significantly warps the market when it comes to online services.

Companies on one side of the Atlantic, that want to serve customers on the other, have to comply with at least two sets of rules–-and in Europe, each country gets to interpret the federal law in its own way, leading to even more headaches. Ultimately, what’s legal in America may not be legal in France or Austria.

Both the U.S. and EU are currently revising their regulations, and the last couple months have even seen a tentative plan develop to create some harmony between them. Progress was gained this week when a joint statement was released claiming to be “a defining moment for global personal data protection and privacy policy.”

It’s not talking about eliminating all regulatory differences, but what it does say very clearly is that the U.S. and EU want to “increase interoperability in privacy laws and regulations, and to enhance enforcement cooperation”, and that there should be international “standards in the area of personal data protection.”

But of all the countries in Europe, none interprets EU data protection law more literally and rigidly than Germany. Gigaom interviewed local German startups to see how they view the idea of the U.S. and EU’s data protection and privacy laws being more in tune.

You can read the thoughts of German start ups on the EU approach to privacy here.

TagMan Offers New Conversion Loss Calculator to Measure Impact of Page-Load Speed on Sales

Global tag management company TagMan announced this week a new tool available on its website to measure conversion losses resulting from slow page load speeds. The new Conversion Loss Calculator allows marketers to plug in specific data about their own websites and returns information showing the direct impact of slow-loading pages on the bottom line.

In a study with customer Glasses Direct, a UK eyeglasses e-retailer, TagMan demonstrated that when page-load time increased, likely conversion rates dropped by 6.7%, substantiating previous studies conducted by Aberdeen Group. Additionally, the calculator showed that page-load time for visitors who abandoned the site without converting was three to four times higher than for those who converted and made a purchase.

TagMan's Conversion Loss Calculator is available from the TagMan website. And it’s free.

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More desperate paywall strategies: Flemish media companies set to develop a common payment system

This week Flemish media companies are talking about making their news pay. There are already forms of payment in place for new digital products, but the idea is to collate all news, from online newspapers to magazines, to run on one payment platform.

Rik De Nolf, the Managing Director of Roularta, said publishers want to establish a system in line with the newly established Media Innovation Centre (Mix). The center was opened last week by the Flemish Minister of Media, Ingrid Lieten, and is primarily seen as a knowledge and research center.

One of De Nolf’s first assignments is looking at how the media can streamline their systems into one successful online payment. De Nolf pointed to Slovenia and Slovakia, where such common paywalls exist, but Hans Deridder, Managing Editor at The Persgroep, expects Flemings to be critically disposed to such a model.

"There is a lot of work, consultation, discussion and reflection necessary before there can eventually be a successful payment model. I do not expect the eventual solution to be a closed paywall, but perhaps a compromise that better protects publishers’ content investments", said Deridder.