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Noticing something as you walk by and a corporate giant collecting, collating and using that information for something the owner never intended it for are two w
by rickmb 15y ago
Noticing something as you walk by and a corporate giant collecting, collating and using that information for something the owner never intended it for are two wildly different things. Context is everything.
The phonebook was a well known consequence of having a phone, dating back to the days when the phone companies were state owned public services. These days it would be utterly unacceptable if for instance internet access providers would do the same thing. Again, context is everything.
And just to make it clear: as a European, you are not offended by an American company that thinks it has the right to ignore local laws and sensitivities?
- anigbrowl 15y agoNo, I don't think they are ignoring laws and I don't share your sensitivities. Of course, that has something to do with my decision to live in the US rather than Europe, but OTOH I make a frequent habit of saying that the US could be more like the EU in some ways, not least having a constitutional right to privacy. But although I am an enthusiastic privacy advocate, the fact is that if you're broadcasting a wifi AP then anyone going past with a wifi device can observe the fact. Choosing to collect and collate that information is no different from a glazier travelling through a neighborhood estimating the size of the window market.