Obviously sensitive information like addresses, credit cards, etc. should be protected, but I don’t understand why it’s considered a big deal when companies sell other data? Don’t they just sell things like how much time you spent staring at a picture before you scrolled?
In: Technology
Because if I know your date of birth and your first name, I have a good chance of identifying you.
Now imagine you are living in a repressive regime or your government becomes evil. Do you really want to be able to be tracked down or would you rather be able to remain anonymous and retain the freedom to protest and act?
And now imagine that I know who you are exchanging messages with. You can see the downsides there, right?
If not, I suggest reading up on the German Stasi or imagine how the story of Anne Franck would have gone if they wouldn’t even have needed to search for her.
Companies are not much better here, they are just less dangerous, which they make up by being more ruthless. So you will not see certain products anymore and the ads you see will be geared towards your past behaviour, locking you in. And you will see news and posts which rile you up, as those get more clicks, so you will not be able to pick and choose your sources and compare them.
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