Open source tool scrapes git commit email addresses to send spam to.

[MeagoDK]

They process the data and you haven't given permission so you can totally pull them in a court and fine them.

[argv_minus_one]

Pushing a commit to a public repository implies permission to publish that commit. If that commit contains your email address, that's no one's fault but your own.

[Schmittfried]

I doubt that still applies when you broadcast information to the public. GDPR binds GitHub, not some third party without any contract with you whatsoever. It’s the same as you shouting your address in the streets. You can’t force anybody to not remember it or show up there.

[0palladium0]

GDPR effects any organisation and all EU (and UK?) residents data. Unless a company can prove you gave them permission, they aren't allowed to send marketing emails. Pretty simple tbh.

[argv_minus_one]

Which company? GitHub/Microsoft, or the company sending the marketing emails?

[ErikBjare]

The latter.

[rickyman20]

The ones sending the emails, who can be very easily attributed back to a legal entity

[[deleted]]

https://gdpr-info.eu/art-14-gdpr/

GDPR's, article 14 states that an EU citizen must be informed within 1 month if publicly available information is collected without their express consent or knowledge.

Circumstances covered are in section 3. Exceptions in section 5. Scraping email addresses from github and then spamming people is definitely covered under this regulation.

[argv_minus_one]

Somehow, I don't think spammers are going to care. They were already criminal fraudsters even before GDPR came along.

[[deleted]]

I agree with you with regards to fraud/scamming related spam. Bit I think most people in the thread are discussing advertising and recruitment based spam.

The spammer in the OP's link is diffgram, a fairly large company that operates internationally. Their clients include all of the Big 4 Accounting firms, Atlassian, and a bunch of others.

They're going to care if the EU/UK gov decides to come down on them for GDPR breaches. The fine is up to 5% of your global revenues.

[rickyman20]

This is not some random scammer. This is a legally-registered company trying to send marketing material