How We Killed Privacy -- in 4 Easy Steps

How We Killed Privacy -- in 4 Easy Steps.

-- Tom

 

I find the article extremely biased. For instance, the author talks about "Our Consent to Being Tracked Online". IMO, this is ridiculous, the sites are simply tracking us, that's no real consent involved. Sure, it is possible to avoid it to some extent, but there is not a real option, and the users are not asked if they agree to it.

Then, I see that: "There are advantages to treating personal data as a commodity. Companies can provide remarkable services at no cost to the user." Really? Did someone asked me if I am willing to pay and not be tracked? Of course not! I can use a free service and give up my data, or don't use it and keep my data private. It is not possible to use the service and keep my data private. Again, this is just the illusion of choice, not a real alternative.

But wait! There is more: "Our Response to Terrorism", where we find out that "The threat of a terrorist attack is real, not a chimera, and the NSA after 9/11 was charged with sifting through electronic data to shake out the dangers". Great, more reason to give up all our rights, and curiously (or not!) again, the illusion of choice. Did anyone asked me about it? Of course not...

So, yeah, we totally did it to ourselves!

 

They are tracking us to give us adds that match are interests
Spying on US citizens in the name of Anti-terrorism The 2 Boston Marathon bombers stood out a mile with suspicious behavior

 

Many people like the features that tracking can provide. Some people even like to see well-targeted ads, because they might discover something that they really like. And some people really like to know what their family, friends, etc are doing and where they are, and they feel good about sharing their stuff.

Most people don't think through the implications, however, or they consider the risks too unlikely to worry about. More or less, they're clueless (and at times aggressively so).

 

I can choose my own style of pants, I don't need to to have them picked out for me

 

Yes, but one of your friends might point you to really cool pants that you'd never seen before

~ Removed Copyrighted Image ~

These are silk Tai Chi pants. If you get extra large, and have them hemmed, they make really great summer pants. They can even pass for dress pants

 

This article is such ~ Snipped as per TOS ~. The fault lies with the government and the corporations who, in the U.S at least, run said government. There is no choice in privacy, only the amount of hoops to jump through to gain some semblance of privacy back. When was the last time you heard Google say "Hey, do you mind if we track your searches and use relevant ads in your email by reading its contents? It's no problem if that's not cool by you, we won't do it if you don't like."? When did Facebook ever give its users or even the people that don't even use the damned service a choice in being tracked across websites?

The government? Where are the choices in PRISM and other programs, where is the ability to go up to the FISC and say "Hey, um, aren't we overreaching just a tad here?" ? Nobody "did it to themselves". Corporations are doing it for money, end of discussion. They don't give a rats furry behind what we think about it and aren't going to change a thing until every single user says "Nope, not having it, game over, bye bye." and no new users come along until they change. The government won't change because they know if we really wanted to take them to task, it would be less Revolutionary War and more Civil War, and that we won't have the sacks to go through that. Not to mention even publicly criticizing these things is becoming a risk of being labeled a terrorist and could get people locked up. I don't care how many people act all Internet Patriot on a forum or Twitter, when it came time to do the deed and stand up, too few are going to have the sacks to do it.