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There's a better solution: Stop collecting and keeping personal data. I can't even read this article without using firefox reader mode to skip the cookie warni

There's a better solution: Stop collecting and keeping personal data. I can't even read this article without using firefox reader mode to skip the cookie warning / prompt (this works for a lot of sites!). That's a choice that techdirt make. By framing it as an unavoidable consequence of the cookie legislation or GDPR moves the focus to the wrong place.

volak 8y ago
Collecting data subsidizes the cost of the service. Would facebook have 1 billion users if it cost $5.99 a month? Data collection is not going anywhere, so long as people are willing (even unknowingly) to give up info for a perceived discount. Now here - fill out my form with your address, email, phone, photo id, and passport number for a chance to win a brand new 2019 Honda!
- frgtpsswrdlame 8y ago
  >Data collection is not going anywhere, so long as people are willing (even unknowingly) to give up info for a perceived discount. People are willing in large part because they have no clue what their data is actually worth and/or what pieces of their data are actually out there. Data collection survives because people don't realize they're already paying $5.99 a month (or whatever the real breakeven number is.) I think it's a pretty good rule of markets that people should know what it is they're exchanging. To that end I should be able to see what these companies gather on me when I use their service.
- true_religion 8y ago
  Well Facebook makes about $1.50 per year per user. So they could charge a lot less than almost $6 per month, but it would be harder to capture that money.
- Carpetsmoker 8y ago
  There have been many free ad-supported services that don't collect your data for many years: newspapers, TV channels, radio, etc. "Accept data collection or pay for it" is a false dichotomy. Ad-supported websites don't need data collection to be profitable, just as NBC doesn't. Furthermore, there are many paid services that collect data as well. Last time I flew with KLM the online check-in didn't work because some JS errored out as its data collection script was blocked. Turned out it was sending data to 17 domains on the on-line checkin page: 4232724.fls.doubleclick.net ad.atdmt.com apps.static-afkl.com c.webtrends.com cdn.tagcommander.com connect.facebook.com dynamic.dimml.io googleads.g.doubleclick.net lm.commander1.com platform.twitter.com sjs.bizographics.com statse.webtrendslive.com t.svtrd.com tdn.r42tag.com w.usabilla.com www.google-analytics.com www.googleadservices.com And KLM isn't even a budget airline like RyanAir. I paid good money for my flight.
misabon 8y ago
Dude, Spotify is a song streaming service. Holding on to song history is one of the features they offer. Lyft and Uber are taxi services. Holding on to history is a feature. Go start your own privacy car if you want. I’m not in favour of this world where you privacy first people want all these features removed from applications I use.
- s73v3r_ 8y ago
  Or, better yet, why don't those companies ask before keeping all this data?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- patmcguire 8y ago
  They keep quite a bit more than what you see on the surface, or what would be needed for the simplest definition of play history https://twitter.com/steipete/status/1025024813889478656 https://twitter.com/steipete/status/1025024813889478656
  - misabon 8y ago
    If they could tell me where I listened to what I’d love that. I wish there were Services for Feature-lovers. I’d love for my player to be able to handle mood (road trips vs work) and hold all these things without me thinking about it. I don’t want checkbox hell.
    - brokenmachine 8y ago
      You're like the NSA's wet dream. Just track everything and I don't want to think about it!!

volak 8y ago

Collecting data subsidizes the cost of the service. Would facebook have 1 billion users if it cost $5.99 a month? Data collection is not going anywhere, so long as people are willing (even unknowingly) to give up info for a perceived discount. Now here - fill out my form with your address, email, phone, photo id, and passport number for a chance to win a brand new 2019 Honda!

frgtpsswrdlame 8y ago
>Data collection is not going anywhere, so long as people are willing (even unknowingly) to give up info for a perceived discount. People are willing in large part because they have no clue what their data is actually worth and/or what pieces of their data are actually out there. Data collection survives because people don't realize they're already paying $5.99 a month (or whatever the real breakeven number is.) I think it's a pretty good rule of markets that people should know what it is they're exchanging. To that end I should be able to see what these companies gather on me when I use their service.
true_religion 8y ago
Well Facebook makes about $1.50 per year per user. So they could charge a lot less than almost $6 per month, but it would be harder to capture that money.
Carpetsmoker 8y ago
There have been many free ad-supported services that don't collect your data for many years: newspapers, TV channels, radio, etc. "Accept data collection or pay for it" is a false dichotomy. Ad-supported websites don't need data collection to be profitable, just as NBC doesn't. Furthermore, there are many paid services that collect data as well. Last time I flew with KLM the online check-in didn't work because some JS errored out as its data collection script was blocked. Turned out it was sending data to 17 domains on the on-line checkin page: 4232724.fls.doubleclick.net ad.atdmt.com apps.static-afkl.com c.webtrends.com cdn.tagcommander.com connect.facebook.com dynamic.dimml.io googleads.g.doubleclick.net lm.commander1.com platform.twitter.com sjs.bizographics.com statse.webtrendslive.com t.svtrd.com tdn.r42tag.com w.usabilla.com www.google-analytics.com www.googleadservices.com And KLM isn't even a budget airline like RyanAir. I paid good money for my flight.

misabon 8y ago

Dude, Spotify is a song streaming service. Holding on to song history is one of the features they offer. Lyft and Uber are taxi services. Holding on to history is a feature. Go start your own privacy car if you want. I’m not in favour of this world where you privacy first people want all these features removed from applications I use.

s73v3r_ 8y ago
Or, better yet, why don't those companies ask before keeping all this data?
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
patmcguire 8y ago
They keep quite a bit more than what you see on the surface, or what would be needed for the simplest definition of play history https://twitter.com/steipete/status/1025024813889478656 https://twitter.com/steipete/status/1025024813889478656
- misabon 8y ago
  If they could tell me where I listened to what I’d love that. I wish there were Services for Feature-lovers. I’d love for my player to be able to handle mood (road trips vs work) and hold all these things without me thinking about it. I don’t want checkbox hell.
  - brokenmachine 8y ago
    You're like the NSA's wet dream. Just track everything and I don't want to think about it!!