this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023
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Yeah, I'm often thinking "am I sounding crazy right now?" when I ever mention that I care about privacy.
I kind of understand the issues with privacy, but not really. What don't you want online companies to know and why?
I don't want them to know anything that isn't completely necessary, and even that should be wiped as soon as it's no longer relevant. Why should I be okay with corps recording all of my online behavior and preferences just so they can sell that info for a bit of extra profit?
To play devil's advocate, hosting the platform for social media isnt free, and if something, especially a service is offered for free, you are usually the product.
Then it becomes a game of convincing people to pay for more privacy, or sell privacy for a "free" service.
My issue isn't so much what they are doing with it, what the could do with it in the future. As of now, they're just trying to sell me shit I'm not going to buy, and influence my political and social views. I already avoid ads like the plague, and I'm pretty set on my politics.
What concerns me with this whole digital personality profile is that it wouldn't take much for bad actors to get their hands on this info, and use it to unequivocally screw me or my family. Force us to pay more for less on an individual level, deny opportunity, etc
tbh I'd rather pay like 5$/month for a good platform that respects my privacy than giving that away like we're doing right now
the problem is that that information is worth way more than $5/month/person
my personal problem isn't the fact that they know a lot about me, but the fact that they can sell that information to advertisers and make millions of dollars of something I didn't give them willingly (sure, knowingly but not willingly)
Anything I wouldn't tell a random stranger. Like who are my friends, their phone numbers, where I live, my full name, my location at all times, etc.
Not nearly tin foil hat enough /s
Suppose a bad actor gets access to this information. Suppose this bad actor has the "political view" that people with your specific profile shouldn't be allowed to vote. Suppose they have the network to get a small army of really big guys to stand in front of your house on election day. That's a very superficial example on why you shouldn't want companies to have any of your data unless it's necessary.
Not just an example, it happens in black neighborhoods in the South every election. Usually at polling centers or churches instead of individual houses, but if they had the manpower they'd go to houses.
Anything more than necessary. Why do you want them to know? I wouldn't let a stranger follow me around, so why should I allow a tracking cookie on my browser? It's scary and offensive.