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Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

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21–30 of 39 posts

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#21
post #4

Something I read long ago (and can't find) was that privacy is a relatively recent part of humanity. In the past, we lived in small groups where everyone knew each other very well. Now we live in big groups, which provide pseudo-nymity. One of the things I keep coming back to in my head is a way to democratize the information collected about us. Right now, certain "people" (including companies and government organiza…

Well, todays society would probably collapse, if suddenly someone would publish a website with everthing of everybody... (South made a fitting episode of that)

I mean there are so many lies, so many things people do only in secret, like porn or drugs. By numbers both are a fundamental part of society, but only some can openly admit watching/doing it.

Then all the normal lies, like what you really think about person xyz, or your boss, etc

Or the persons you are attracted to besides your monogamic partner ...

Or all the unsolved thieves, murders or dirty secrets of the governments .. Would probably make a big kaboom if all released at once.

.. Or a rethinking about how it might be nicer to not live with all those lies, but being able to live the way we are and feel and not hiding hit so much with fake politenes etc.

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#22

I think that the only way to really drive home the importance of digital privacy rights is to craft a bit of targeted advertising that _only_ your senator or representative sees and that follows them _everywhere_ online.

The only way is to communicate to politicians in their own language - money.

Put the money toward campaign contributions to outbid the competition. Apparently they are relatively cheap and you only need a majority consisting of the cheapest ones.

Here is the apparent price list for the congress people involved: http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/29/15100620/congress-fcc-isp-...

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#23
post #4

Something I read long ago (and can't find) was that privacy is a relatively recent part of humanity. In the past, we lived in small groups where everyone knew each other very well. Now we live in big groups, which provide pseudo-nymity. One of the things I keep coming back to in my head is a way to democratize the information collected about us. Right now, certain "people" (including companies and government organiza…

Antibiotics are pretty recent, too. As is housing with sufficient space and internal structure to not have to see and hear your parents working on your next little brother.

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#24
post #4

Something I read long ago (and can't find) was that privacy is a relatively recent part of humanity. In the past, we lived in small groups where everyone knew each other very well. Now we live in big groups, which provide pseudo-nymity. One of the things I keep coming back to in my head is a way to democratize the information collected about us. Right now, certain "people" (including companies and government organiza…

This has to do with scale, and skin-in-the-game. You share things with people you trust. On a small scale, you're just a tightly knit group or community. On a large scale, you're a cog in a cyberpunk machine.

In a small community, people know each other. They also know who's spreading a given rumor. People tend to have great instincts, so if the person spreading the rumor is notoriously unreliable, they'll already have acquired that reputation, and the rumor won't have sway. And people can spread rumors, but rumors can spread about them, too, so they behave. None of that is true in cybermundo. Journalists spread lies about you? Millions who'd never even heard of you before now believe them, and your life is ruined.

You can't have high-trust societies on a high scale.

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#25
Can I just sell my data? I really don't care and not sure why everyone is freaking out over this. I also believe most tech muggles don't care either. Also is not most of our data sold by data brokers currently - like your physical address. Not sure what I should worry about with my browsing data...

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#26
post #25

Can I just sell my data? I really don't care and not sure why everyone is freaking out over this. I also believe most tech muggles don't care either. Also is not most of our data sold by data brokers currently - like your physical address. Not sure what I should worry about with my browsing data...

I'd love to sell my own personal information. For one, it'd be nice to see a cut of the cash changing hands.

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#27
post #25

Can I just sell my data? I really don't care and not sure why everyone is freaking out over this. I also believe most tech muggles don't care either. Also is not most of our data sold by data brokers currently - like your physical address. Not sure what I should worry about with my browsing data...

Because the more someone knows about you, the more power they have to harm or coerce you.

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#28
post #25

Can I just sell my data? I really don't care and not sure why everyone is freaking out over this. I also believe most tech muggles don't care either. Also is not most of our data sold by data brokers currently - like your physical address. Not sure what I should worry about with my browsing data...

> Can I just sell my data?

That's the real issue here IMO. It blows my mind that Comcast et al thinks it's unfair that Google, Facebook, etc get to profit off of user data while they can not. I get that most politicians don't have the slightest understanding of tech, but how hard is it to understand that Google, Facebook et al get this access because they provide a service for nearly free with the cost being your personal information.

Comcast, Verizon, etc. sells a service that consumers purchase. Now they are increasing the costs by profiting off of our personal data while giving users nothing in return. Ironically, this gives them an unfair advantage. These corporate welfare queens don't have to compete by providing a service that I would pay for with my personal information.

Re: Campaign to Buy Browsing Histories of Politicians Who Passed Anti-Privacy Law

#30

I think this is a little premature until we know what exactly can be purchased and when. As of right now throwing money at this person seems like just giving him free money. Who is this person and is he trustworthy... what's he going to do with the money if he can't buy it ? Does he even know how to buy the data ?

> Who is this person and is he trustworthy... what's he going to do with the money if he can't buy it ? Does he even know how to buy the data ?

You've documented exactly why we should buy Congressional data. Let's make it painfully obvious that the data can be "weaponized" against them, their loved ones, and business partners by the unscrupulous and the unstable.

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