El Pais paywall can be disabled via reader view in your web browser.
In EU with their GDPR/cookie laws. I’m pretty sure hiding the declining of tracking or cookies behind a paywall is not supported under those laws.
It is very legal and common in France too. You’re free to decline as long as you’re a customer. You’re free to accept or not see the web site.
I wish. In the end it all depend on how individual countries interpret the EU law. In France it was decided that “either let us shit all over your privacy or pay a subscription” was okay and in the spirit of the law.
It’s bullshit IMO, but lots of sites ran with it. So those I refuse to interact with now.