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Most data is collected by either: a.) Voluntarily giving information in exchange for a discount (Rewards cards, sales, kickbacks, etc.) b.) Voluntarily using

Most data is collected by either: a.) Voluntarily giving information in exchange for a discount (Rewards cards, sales, kickbacks, etc.) b.) Voluntarily using a service that is known to collect data about you (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, your ISPs DNS, etc.) c.) Voluntarily sending some kind of descriptor that says "track me with this number" (advertising) I'm not disputing that there is some data collected about people that they never consented to, but the bulk of the problem is data that is taken voluntarily because people are apathetic.

gerdesj 9y ago
I'm not disputing that there is some data collected about people that they never consented to <Random app> requires access to Contacts ... Meh <press OK> ... Now your entire phone/email book is out there. Your Mum and Dad's phone number is in the hands of several shysters along with all the other stuff you store in your Contacts. I wonder how many bank PINs encoded as part of fake phone numbers are out there along with other extra data? Its no accident that most Contact lists actively encourage gathering more data eg birthdays and much, much more. That's just your bloody phone book. >30 years ago I had a little black address book stuffed with lots of people's address and phone numbers (and a lot of happy memories). OK it also had my bank PIN but that was carefully disguised in a way more complicated to reconstruct than needed to memorise the actual digits. You would need to put me in dire danger to obtain that data - I still have the little book and Google does not (fuck 'em). Nowadays you only have to claim that your mapping app can't work without it.
- willstrafach 9y ago
  Your contacts example is great. I recall a company who initially offered a contact list backup app, and now they pivoted to phone number search / caller ID app.
oldcynic 9y ago
FB and LinkedIn ask for contacts (or at least used to). That's dozens of people's data, with at least one unique identifier for each, who did not provide informed consent in any way. So you are as safe as the most apathetic or technically ignorant of your acquaintances, and FB's shadow profile grows again.

gerdesj 9y ago

I'm not disputing that there is some data collected about people that they never consented to <Random app> requires access to Contacts ... Meh <press OK> ... Now your entire phone/email book is out there. Your Mum and Dad's phone number is in the hands of several shysters along with all the other stuff you store in your Contacts. I wonder how many bank PINs encoded as part of fake phone numbers are out there along with other extra data? Its no accident that most Contact lists actively encourage gathering more data eg birthdays and much, much more. That's just your bloody phone book. >30 years ago I had a little black address book stuffed with lots of people's address and phone numbers (and a lot of happy memories). OK it also had my bank PIN but that was carefully disguised in a way more complicated to reconstruct than needed to memorise the actual digits. You would need to put me in dire danger to obtain that data - I still have the little book and Google does not (fuck 'em). Nowadays you only have to claim that your mapping app can't work without it.

willstrafach 9y ago
Your contacts example is great. I recall a company who initially offered a contact list backup app, and now they pivoted to phone number search / caller ID app.

oldcynic 9y ago

FB and LinkedIn ask for contacts (or at least used to). That's dozens of people's data, with at least one unique identifier for each, who did not provide informed consent in any way. So you are as safe as the most apathetic or technically ignorant of your acquaintances, and FB's shadow profile grows again.