I don't think most truly understand that corporations don't follow a moral compass when it comes to respecting boundaries
this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023
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While that may be true, I don't think understanding that companies are evil is enough to convince anyone to care about privacy. I've known corporations are evil for well over a decade but I only started caring about privacy at all a few weeks ago. the issue is that privacy feels so unnatainable to average people that it may as well be a myth. how can you even think about if your internet history is private when you don't even know how to access internet history yourself? even if you do, it's not like these companies gossip to your friends about your mundane secrets anyway, it's just some faceless entity filing it away somewhere to probably be forgotten. that's the perception I had at least, and I know I wasn't the only one. what really changed my mind about privacy was being immersed in a community of people that cared about privacy and took time to show that it can be achievable and even convenient both to understand the forces and technologies at play and to actually live a more privacy focused life.
I want to give this comment an award. Maybe instead of metals, we can use food which have inherent / immediate value.
So, gilding with Lemmy Sashimi
Or something
🍋
lemons for lemmings?
I like the idea of awards that donate proceeds to food security charities, even though it's only tangential to what you said.
I think most people are just overwhelmed most of the time and just want to live their lives and feel connected. There’s no immediate pain of giving up personal information just a vague threat of some future danger. We’re bad at caring about those types of things, generally speaking, just look at how we are handling climate change.
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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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they're laughing at him for pissing in the lemonade pool (he drank lots of water)
They're pissing on him for laughing in the water pool (he drank lots of lemonade)
you're only starving yourself of warmth
And that is NOT how pool water works.
who said anything about "water"?
I often wonder if this is some sort of lack of self worth thing. Like, people don't see their data as important because they don't see themselves as important in the grand scheme of things? Do they thing one person isn't gonna change anything?
I get algorithms and shit are designed to be addicted and keep you coming back, but is there a deeper part to this?
Or am I just the crazy one? Does all of this not matter? I mean, I know it doesn't, in the grand scheme nothing matters. But at this time in space does it matter? My friends enjoy TikTok and Facebook and Twitter and whatever else they use. I do end up being the crazed loser? Is the pool full of piss and I'm in water? Or is it a lemonade pool and I'm full of Powerade piss
Nope. It's just a convince thing. They aren't aware what can be done with their data and when they are aware they think "there are millions of people using it so why should MY data be that interesting"
If people are given a choice, they almost always will decline if it's as convenient as accepting.
I've told various people over the years how easy it is to move away from tracking and how valuable their data is. They don't care. Which makes me thing it's something else at least in part
The problem is: it's not easy. It's easy for you because you're used to it. Most people are not interested in technology at all.
So maybe start with small things that actually improve the experience. Instead of asking "do you want to get away from trackers" ask "do you never want to see ads in your life ever again". Then show them how to install an ad blocker.
Don't try to talk about everything at once. You also don't try to teach advanced chemistry someone who has absolutely no idea and interest in Chemistry. You have to teach them small steps at a time and make it sound intresting and easy.
And it's not easy when you tell them "it's easy. You just have to install this, this and this and have to change your whole habit of using your devices by using a different browser and learn a different client for apps. Oh, and most of them aren't available on the play store and give a warning when you want to install them."
You have to make them care about their data, you have to make them care about what you tell them. And that's the hard part
That's a very fair assessment and actually answers my questions perfectly.
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What we don't realize is the guy in the center drank a lot of Powerade, and is relieving himself in the lemonade pool.
I think a lot of people have an apathetic outlook towards privacy because they're cynical that anything they can do will have the desired effect. The belief that they can't possibly outsmart these data hungry corporations without putting in what they consider to be hard work is enough to sacrifice it.
Right.
Like when I excitedly try to explain the cool way the websites can track you as a user even when you're incognito 😨
People just have a blank stare, like "what's incognito"
feelsbadman.jpg
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They're coming for the communists now.
When they come for the trade-unionists and Jews, my neighbors will have long stoned the trail to my door.
And when they come for the rest of my neighborhood, no one will understand how they knew about dinner-table thoughts of dissent or wavering patriotism.
I absolutely agree with this point, but what is this image lmfao
I read a lot of / am highly into cypherpunk ideology. I work hard to protect my privacy.
But I also have shitty bottom rung / entry level jobs. ALL of them use apps with atrocious privacy policies for group messaging and posting schedules.
A) I am a cashier. Why do you need to be able to reach me 24/7?
B) It makes all my effort trying to keep a minimal digital footprint moot when I am forced to share tons of personal info to register. And I am also required to get the app.
C) No corporate manager who also hates their job is trying to listen to my diatribe about why "WhatsApp" is evil.
I am seriously considering buying a prepaid flip phone and pretending that's my "real" phone for my next job. That's the only solution I can think of. But I just hate that it's a problem at every $10/ hour job.
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I agree so much, I got my own vpn on a private vps just to I can make sure there is no logging happening, so that I can live happy knowing that my data isn't being sold and my webteam workmates were like "What? Why? Have you got anything to hide?". No I don't I just don't want anything to listen in hugh...
Ask them if they'd go nude in public, to prove that they have nothing hidden under their clothes, or if they'd let their parents/the authorities see their porn collection, to make sure it's all legal and above board. Then pivot the conversation to the dignity of not being surveilled constant just in case you might be doing something wrong, with zero suspicion.
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The yellow piss matches my purple swimsuit more though, so I know which I'm picking
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