3 ms·

Measures like this make me think that a lot of modern privacy advocacy is misguided. Each of us is unique in a huge variety of ways. We have unique fingerprints

Measures like this make me think that a lot of modern privacy advocacy is misguided. Each of us is unique in a huge variety of ways. We have unique fingerprints, unique iris patterns, unique genomes, unique gaits, unique writing styles, unique speech patterns, unique hair, unique teeth, unique sweat composition, and even unique coding styles that survive compilation and optimization [1]. What are you going to do --- use a combination of social pressure and regulation to prevent people analyzing any of these things? We're moving toward a world in which you can be identified if you go out of public. Instead of trying to plug an increasingly leaky dike, we should just learn to accept this new future and take advantage of the upsides. [1] https://arxiv.org/abs/1512.08546 https://arxiv.org/abs/1512.08546

harimau777 7y ago
Personally, I can see several significant downsides (being manipulated by targeted propaganda, punished for socially unpopular behavior, taken advantage of, etc.) and virtually no meaningful upsides.
- Nasrudith 7y ago
  Personally I think the main issue sociologically is that the implementations are "half-mirror" society instead of fully transparent. The half mirror is inherently abusable. Imagine a sci-fi world where anyone can view anywhere in the past at any time and any depth. It would be disconcerting but it would put people on equal footings and prevent many forms of deception and abuse as well as making criminal trials binary but fair. Corruption would be harder to get away with when every backroom meeting could be audited and verified by everyone. It would force some very uncomfortable questions about social norms and laws as a society in withdrawl from expected hypocrisy. Compare that to one with it just in the hands of authorities to abuse. Obviously not the same but the analogy should be clear how even if both are disliked they are quite different and one is worse.
eigenhombre 7y ago
> We're moving toward a world in which you can be identified if you go out of public. ... I think you mean, "We're moving toward a world in which you can be identified by machines if you go out in public." (My friends can identify me pretty easily out there.) We are choosing to move toward that world. We could choose something else. And just because other people are choosing it, doesn't mean you or I have to. Personally I have gotten weary of every single company/organization I deal with collecting more information about me than they need to meet my needs... to such an extent that I now have started looking for opportunities to deny them that information (including simply avoiding them).
raxxorrax 7y ago
Nah.

harimau777 7y ago

Personally, I can see several significant downsides (being manipulated by targeted propaganda, punished for socially unpopular behavior, taken advantage of, etc.) and virtually no meaningful upsides.

Nasrudith 7y ago
Personally I think the main issue sociologically is that the implementations are "half-mirror" society instead of fully transparent. The half mirror is inherently abusable. Imagine a sci-fi world where anyone can view anywhere in the past at any time and any depth. It would be disconcerting but it would put people on equal footings and prevent many forms of deception and abuse as well as making criminal trials binary but fair. Corruption would be harder to get away with when every backroom meeting could be audited and verified by everyone. It would force some very uncomfortable questions about social norms and laws as a society in withdrawl from expected hypocrisy. Compare that to one with it just in the hands of authorities to abuse. Obviously not the same but the analogy should be clear how even if both are disliked they are quite different and one is worse.

eigenhombre 7y ago

> We're moving toward a world in which you can be identified if you go out of public. ... I think you mean, "We're moving toward a world in which you can be identified by machines if you go out in public." (My friends can identify me pretty easily out there.) We are choosing to move toward that world. We could choose something else. And just because other people are choosing it, doesn't mean you or I have to. Personally I have gotten weary of every single company/organization I deal with collecting more information about me than they need to meet my needs... to such an extent that I now have started looking for opportunities to deny them that information (including simply avoiding them).

raxxorrax 7y ago

Nah.