why is it a problem that companies take our data?
In: Technology
It isn’t, as long as you realise that your personal data is valuable and you are effectively swapping that data in exchange for free stuff.
The problem is the transaction is opaque. Google know how much revenue they make per user from different services. But you don’t know how much money they are making from your data.
Most people would not consent to such a transaction normally, because both sides know the value of the transaction. It is of course complicated by the fact that the value of the data to you may well be less than it is to governments, advertisers etc.
However, the fact that Google et al provide loads of cool free stuff because you are the product and you are being sold to pay for it is lost on many.
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