The US finds out about attacks ahead of time the same way we always have: through intelligence operations, not data mining. I don't think anyone is saying that targeted, legal wire tapping is somehow off-limits now. I don't see how this would impact the ability of a company to assist the authorities in monitoring individuals' communications, either - it will, possibly, make it more difficult for the NSA to do a blanket gathering of foreign communications, which I believe is the point.
Large service providers like Google and Amazon can and will comply with the laws. It is possible that social media start-ups will be unable to operate across borders due to regulations, but this will hardly be a staggering setback to the European populace's ability to share photos of their food. I doubt there are any real implications for things like freedom of speech/expression: these types of services are already effectively illegal in places with heavily authoritarian governments.
> It is possible that social media start-ups will be unable to operate across borders due to regulations, but this will hardly be a staggering setback to the European populace's ability to share photos of their food.
There will be services that have not yet been invented. We cannot presume to know what they'll look like, but there's a big chance the startups that invent them will be harmed by this ruling. No, big services run by established players will not die, but that's hardly the point.
Only large service providers will be able to comply with all of the laws.
Why, exactly? And what are "all of the laws"? The data protection directive is not that complicated or onerous, and besides, you can avoid it wholesale: just don't store personal data.
Large service providers like Google and Amazon can and will comply with the laws. It is possible that social media start-ups will be unable to operate across borders due to regulations, but this will hardly be a staggering setback to the European populace's ability to share photos of their food. I doubt there are any real implications for things like freedom of speech/expression: these types of services are already effectively illegal in places with heavily authoritarian governments.