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We have already seen the privacy implications of this at the private and government level at the same time. There is data that the government isn't allowed to c
by mortify 3y ago
We have already seen the privacy implications of this at the private and government level at the same time. There is data that the government isn't allowed to collect, but it is allowed to purchases that data from 3rd parties. If the government having access to your data isn't a concern, what should be is that if the government can purchase it, anyone can.
Yes, people generally don't care if others know they shop at Target and the mundane details of their kid's softball practice, but they don't know what else is available:
- When nobody is home and their house is empty. Not only can they do this in real-time especially if they can track car data, but they use see time data to determine when you're least likely to be home in the future.
- Your medical history. You car was parked outside of a cardiologist and a pharmacy. You probably have high blood pressure. Did you go to an obstetrician's office for the 3rd time? Maybe you're pregnant.
- How about existing and future interstate crimes? You go to a shooting range every week and since the recent passage of a law banning ammunition purchases without a background check in your state, you've started making regular runs to a neighboring state. Is this probable cause to show you're breaking the law? What about a woman going to the doctor in a state that bans abortions who makes similar trips out of state? Have you been posting about your recent bourbon tastings and making trips to the nearby state known for having better alcohol availability?
- People don't care about strangers having access to boring personal details, but what about people you know? There's nothing stopping your mother-in-law from snooping on your life and asking personal questions they have no business looking at. Maybe this is cumbersome and expensive today, but considering how tech makes things easier and cheaper over time, will it always be this way? Once data is out there, it's out there forever.
Maybe people aren't concerned because these laws aren't being enforced, but how much of that is a chicken and the egg? Are they not enforced because they don't want to enforce them or because or because it's difficult to ID the people breaking the law. Data like this makes it easier.
- slg 3y agoAs I said: >Once that reasoning starts getting into hypotheticals about a future totalitarian government... you have already lost people. You can't start talking about states arresting people for going to a bourbon tasting and have people actual care about your argument. People have way too many more tangible and more pressing concerns than this type of weird hypothetical. I'm not saying your argument is wrong. It just isn't going to actually motivate anyone to action.