An expecting mother and sociologist reports on her attempt to hide her pregnancy from the data mining corporations that increasingly have greater and greater access to more and more of the details of all our lives.
From TIME:
This week, the President is expected to release a report on big data, the result of a 90-day study
that brought together experts and the public to weigh in on the
opportunities and pitfalls of the collection and use of personal
information in government, academia, and industry. Many people say that
the solution to this discomforting level of personal data collection is
simple: if you don’t like it, just opt out. But as my experience shows,
it’s not as simple as that. And it may leave you feeling like a
criminal. . . . .
No one should have to act like a criminal just to have some privacy from
marketers and tech giants. But the data-driven path we are currently
on, paved with heartwarming rhetoric of openness, sharing and
connectivity, actually undermines civic values, and circumvents checks
and balances. The President’s report can’t come soon enough. When it
comes to our personal data, we need better choices than either “leave if
you don’t like it” or no choice at all. It’s time for a frank public
discussion about how to make personal information privacy not just a
series of check boxes but a basic human right, both online and off.
An infographic from ZDNET:
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