Live data from Hacker News

Facebook, Google Fund Nonprofits Shaping Privacy Debate

news.bloomberglaw.com

11–20 of 146 posts

Re: Facebook, Google Fund Nonprofits Shaping Privacy Debate

#11

Are we sure this is not donation match?

Do you have any reason to believe it is? The article contains interviews from spokespersons of some of the charities in question and Bloomberg asked Facebook/Google for comment. Surely if it was simply matching donations, someone in PR for one of these organizations would have derailed this entire article by pointing that out?

Re: Facebook, Google Fund Nonprofits Shaping Privacy Debate

#13
also Google spends loads of money on ads in actual papers (definitely catering to an older and more privacy-interested clientele), for example urging people to take privacy into their own hands, by leading them here: https://g.co/privacycheckup .

I wonder how many of the targets take the bait and "sign up for privacy" just to never sign out again, giving Google official approval for their data collection mechanics...

I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that a wide array of problems (from privacy to creating a sustainable economy) might just be served best by heavily regulating the whole advertising sector (starting from banning individualized ads to enforcing quotas on ad-spending/marketing in all other industries)

Re: Facebook, Google Fund Nonprofits Shaping Privacy Debate

#14

Are we sure this is not donation match?

There is a long standing tradition of companies funding "third party" groups with essentially the opposite naming to what they're actually lobbying for.

FUD / message control / obfuscation is the name of the game.

Non-profits should be automatically named 's - that would at least make it a little more obvious whose message you're getting.

Re: Facebook, Google Fund Nonprofits Shaping Privacy Debate

#15
post #8

This quote from the article highlights the problem at hand: > Organizations like the Center for Democracy and Technology, which received at least $960,000 from [Google and Facebook] in 2018, are often quoted in the media as unbiased third parties and influence how policy is developed in Washington as such, despite receiving the tech company funding. > The group supports allowing tech giants to sell user data to third…

I suppose you're right. I think a major fault of this artcle was the initial lack of clarity surrounding the standpoint of these groups on the issue.

Re: Facebook, Google Fund Nonprofits Shaping Privacy Debate

#17
post #8

This quote from the article highlights the problem at hand: > Organizations like the Center for Democracy and Technology, which received at least $960,000 from [Google and Facebook] in 2018, are often quoted in the media as unbiased third parties and influence how policy is developed in Washington as such, despite receiving the tech company funding. > The group supports allowing tech giants to sell user data to third…

And they are quite effective. My government believes selling customer data is the road to riches. They plan to sell even patient data from mandatory governmental health services. Complete lunatics in my opinion.
Post reply on HN