We are at war, people! At least one might think we are, if you check the fierceness surrounding the debate regarding online privacy. For 123people as a people search engine and thus ‘catering’ to 50 million unique users per month who want to protect their online privacy, this debate is extremely interesting to follow. Like this blogpost, written by Mitch Joel, ‘media hacker’ a.k.a. president of Twist Image: The other side of privacy at Six pixels of separation.
Huge privacy concern
“You can’t throw a rock and not hit a concern about privacy and the use of our data online”, Joel eloquently writes. “This is a huge concern because us Marketers (sic) have screwed it up so royally over the years. From a lack of permission and abuse to security breaches and scams. It’s so bad that government plays an active role in deciding what can and can’t be done (yes, lawmakers). Still, we keep botching it.” Thank you @tasmijn for tweeting this stuff!
Misconceptions online privacy
A really really really interesting read, I must say, and I dare not to oppose to someone as senior as Joel. But even in his posts I sometimes noticed some common misconceptions regarding online privacy – although in the very end, I agree with most of what he is saying. I have put together a list of the three most common misconceptions regarding online privacy.
Misconception #1: Ownership
Privacy is not about ownership, it’s about knowledge. Yes, in many discussions I have seen the ownership theme popping up. Although the debate on ownership fo content and data is very intense too and the right to own your own data is being violated in many cases, you loose control of your privacy – or better yet privateness – once you start sharing information online. That’s what you need to realise, always. Like Mitch says: “The truth is this: until we have full data portability and until our avatars are our own, legal, possession, we have to assume that nothing we do as our digital selves is private or that the data won’t be used in some way.”
Misconception #2: Companies
Privacy is not about companies, it’s about you! Some people say you can’t trust companies with your data. I tend to disagree, most companies know that they need the trust of their users, a trust that is lost in a blink of an eye once they screw up. You should try to take responsibility of your privacy, don’t point your finger at the companies. It’s not easy be responsible and in control of your privacy, no, but hey! - it’s something you just have to do, right? It’s YOUR privacy, remember? Quote Joel: “Privacy and our data is ours… we just have chose wiser how (and to who) we distribute it.”
Misconception #3: Status quo
Privacy is not a status quo. Nor a state of being. It’s an ongoing process, with no beginning, middle or an end. Keep monitoring your privacy, stay aware of new rules and regulations which companies or the government uphold, and try not to do anything stupid. “The truth is that you decide how much data you’re creating and your own level of privacy”, says Joel, and I agree totally.
Thoughts?
The privacy debate will not end with this post, of course. So I’m curious to know your take on these topics, or your thoughts on this question: should we trust companies with our data and/or our online privacy? Share your view on the misconceptions regarding online privacy in the comment section below – don’t use your real name if you want to stay private…
11 Responses
Great post, Remco.
My take is that you shouldn’t trust the internet with your personal information.
In a recent example, a lot of people claimed to give up their ING bank account because the board of ING hit themselves up with a multi-million bonus. Imo, that’s pretty valueble and sensitive information to share with the internet. But people do it anyway to just “be there”.
Then, there’s the companies that generate profit from you. Think of Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. They use any information you share, to make money.
As a happy Google user (gmail, reader, docs, search, calendar, maps), I tend to share a lot of personal information with a company that willingly uses that information to attract advertizers.
[Should I even share the Google services I use? Prolly not, don't you think...]
But I try to keep my use of Google’s services low profile. I don’t have my home address registered, nor my phone number. But they’re both in dozens of e-mails for Google to use!
And all the same goes for Facebook, a company that’s known for violating privacy and ownership legislation.
So no, don’t trust the internet to be a save place to share anything.
On this topic: I’ve never registered a commenting account for this blog, but it magically generates my own avatar.
Wether you call it ownership or privacy, and wether it’s useful or not, it’s my own avatar and I did not agree any blog or website to save or use it.
You don’t have a Gravatar account, or a WordPress account, with the e-mail address provided? Nice follow up: how can you know where you registrered for a comment account? I actually did find a comment on a blog two years ago where you used your avatar, Bas…
I do have a Gravatar account, but it’s registered using a different e-mail address. And my WordPress account has no avatar. Very weird, don’t you think?
Yes, and no. It just shows again and again there is no such thing a total control, I’m afraid. According to the image source, it IS your gravatar image
.
I sometimes comment using my nick, Tasmijn, which shows my avatar as well. The only possible link is my website, then…
Let’s see what’s what without the url
No worky
Certainly it is most important to me to see a good post like this, and slikica link, what else can we leave … and otherwise to remember is not it. Thanks again.
Pingback: Ancora su 123people e privacy » :.:.: (il blog di) Daniele Minotti
An interesting way to break the monotony, because this site is always fresh and full of life. Thanks for the nice posts
i suppose so