Privacy is not a personal asset but a collective resource, likened to the environment. Just as pollution damages the ecosystem, privacy violations harm societal trust. Tech firms, like Facebook, Google, and Amazon, exploit privacy for profit, collecting vast amounts of data to target advertising. This practice is not sustainable and is akin to environmental exploitation.
While tech firms assert that users voluntarily surrender their data, the reality is that most people are unaware of the extent of data collection and its implications. This lack of transparency is alarming and undermines trust.
Legislation, like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is a step towards protecting privacy. GDPR grants individuals more control over their data and imposes strict penalties on firms that violate these rights. However, legislation alone is not sufficient.
Tech companies should adopt a new approach to privacy, treating it as a shared resource to be preserved. This involves transparency about data collection practices and giving users more control over their data. The concept of “data dividends,” where companies share profits derived from data with users, is gaining traction.
Failing to address privacy issues could lead to a societal backlash against tech firms, similar to the environmental movement against polluting industries. The way forward is to recognise privacy as a commons, a shared resource that benefits all and should be preserved for the collective good.
Go to source article: https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/10/privacy-is-a-commons/