Privacy is a right. It’s money that you can trade for goods. The phrase “there is no free lunch” is true. If you want to use Facebook, Google services, X, or anything else free on the internet you pay for the services. Not with money but with something much more valuable. Something that can’t be gotten back once it’s gone. Your privacy. Privacy is your right. Something that you can sell to companies to use their product. Once you do you stop being a person you become a product, not a customer. How do the aforementioned services pay for their website? How do they pay their staff? How do they earn millions of dollars? They sell your information. If you think this is just paranoia I challenge you to take the time and read the terms of service from these companies. I guarantee that somewhere in the mountains of legal jargon you will find that they have the right to sell your information and the data they collect on how you use their services.
So what do we do about it? Well if you want to use their services that is your choice, but know what you are giving up to get that service. As you know that I have a Facebook page for this content. I use Gmail for email services. I use the free version of ChatGPT. Those are choices that I have accepted the tradeoff.
There are companies that don’t sell or collect your data. Tim Cook, Apple Inc’s former CEO said in a 2018 MSNBC Interview, “The truth is, we could make a ton of money if we monetized our customer—if our customer was our product. We’ve elected not to do that.” Apple and others have chosen to make privacy a priority to them. I tend to work with these companies products and services. It is true that I have to pay more money for the products and services, but I’ve made that tradeoff to keep my information and my data mine and mine alone.
Is it a fair tradeoff to you to give up your information and data for services and goods? That is the question that you have to ask yourself. Only you know what you are willing to sacrifice to get access to services and goods.
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