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> one that respects people’s privacy rights while also allowing companies to recoup costs for services they provide Big tech is a bit like tobacco companies at
by isodev 2y ago
> one that respects people’s privacy rights while also allowing companies to recoup costs for services they provide
Big tech is a bit like tobacco companies at some point - we’ve convinced people and ourselves that certain things are good, even healthy while they’re actually the opposite.
We, the people who build and maintain these services, are in a position to offer pushback to ensure the humans and their privacy is higher than any other concerns.
- shiroiushi 2y ago>We, the people who build and maintain these services, are in a position to... Speak for yourself. Most people in tech do not work for Google or Microsoft. Working in tech alone doesn't give you some kind of power to offer pushback in these tech companies, just like being a random worker in the agriculture sector doesn't give you power to offer pushback against the tobacco companies.
- iamkonstantin 2y agoI think the op means that this is a mindset to apply on any kind of software or tech project. Think apps supported by ads or deploying tracking toolkits by default. I was looking for a blog template the other day - so many come loaded with Google analytics and silly cookie prompts for no good reason. These are things we can influence.
- shortrounddev2 2y agoIf the boss says we're adding third party tracking, then that's what's happening. Software engineers have little to no control over the product. The only power I have is to quit my job
- iamkonstantin 2y agoThere is no harm in asking things like what do they expect to get out of it, is it possible to achieve the same result with a privacy-first alternative, can it be recorded on your backend with no need to fingerprint the user etc. “The boss” often doesn’t know or care about the implication of involving data brokers. We’re not just code monkeys.
- gigel82 2y agoAnd you think people that work at Google or Microsoft have power to pushback against the shit their employers do? LOL
- shiroiushi 2y agoI never said they did, but the OP clearly thought so. I'm just pointing out that most of us don't work there, so we don't have whatever power the OP thinks we have.
- hall0ween 2y agoTo me people have power in these situations as far as their ethics go. And in the US, ethics aren’t in high demand.
- hereme888 2y agoI think "most people in tech" have the choice to not use Big Tech spying services that keep gathering the data. But how common is that choice?
- shiroiushi 2y agoHuh? That's exactly the same as all the billions of people who don't work in tech. Everyone has that choice; tech workers aren't special here. You can either use the Big Tech spying services, or not (and miss out on various things as a consequence, because of the social factor of many things). The choice is something that everyone has, and people (tech and non-tech) exercise that choice every day. Usually, though, it's people refusing to use one Big Tech service in favor of a different one: look how many younger people now don't use Facebook, but instead use TikTok.
- behnamoh 2y ago> we, the people unfortunately most engineers I've seen (i come from an engineering background) care mostly about technical stuff and lack the EQ to see the bigger picture.
- Longhanks 2y agoSure, because any attempt to be morally right instead of pleasing the shareholders is struck down by management. You might even risk to penalize your future career. Most engineers are engineers, not company politicians. That doesn’t mean they don’t see the greater picture, it’s just not worth it dealing with corporate bullshit (or even endangering).
- FMecha 2y ago>We, the people who build and maintain these services, are in a position to offer pushback to ensure the humans and their privacy is higher than any other concerns. So, a Hollywood-style strike with the aim to do so?