US news outlets shut out European users amid new privacy laws

Several U.S. news outlets are shutting out European internet users in apparent effort to avoid having to comply with the European Union’s strict new data laws, which went into effect Friday.

The New York Times reported that websites for news outlets owned by Tronc, including the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News, are now inaccessible in the European Union.

{mosads}“We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to the E.U. market,” reads a message displayed on Tronc-owned sites. “We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.”

A spokeswoman for Tronc did not immediately respond when asked for comment.

The new law, called the General Data Protection Regulation, forces companies to be more transparent about their data operations and requires them to offer users more control over their own information. Companies risk massive financial penalties for the biggest privacy violations under the new regime.

Hours after the rules went into effect, internet giants including Facebook and Google are already facing legal complaints about their operations.