And afaik it also quite strictly regulates which data you're allowed to collect and process and for which reasons. But on hackernews I feel it is more often than not represented as a symbol of EU bureaucracy, being to blame for cookie banners, and/or designed to extort money from poor helpless trillion dollar US corporations.

Maybe the bureaucracy is there for a reason some times?

Maybe the poor helpless US corporations shouldn't be collecting 153M+ drivers licenses?

Maybe some of the HN audience is trying to collect 153M drivers licenses themselves and labeling it innovation or monetization model?

Hm.