Privacy is a myth
Posted March 7th, 2009 by MikeWhich of these options scares you more?
A picture of you in college. You are holding a “beverage” and pumping your fist in the air. Your eyes are kind of blankly staring off camera.
Or,
A huge company that has a database of everything you’ve ever bought…your browsing habits…your viewing habits….your income….every demographic tidbit…..and all of this info about your family members too. This company makes this available for a few dollars, or swaps it and trades it like Star Wars cards.
I don’t know about you, but I’d choose “huge company”. Yet I’m always amused when I hear people say they don’t want to be on facebook (or similar) for privacy reasons. Guess, what? You ain’t got no privacy. (ignore the logic of that double negative. It’s just there for effect.)
A friend of mine started a marketing company for financial institutions, and interfaced with one of these “huge companies”. He was amazed at what information was available. Everything about you and your family (and much more than you could possibly think) is catalogued, databased, warehoused, and indexed.
Do you have a discount card on your keychain? Several? All of your purchasing information is cross referenced and consolodated into these marketing databases.
This information is available for sale to anyone who wants it (including the government). And they can use it for whatever they want.
Cablevision matches households to demographic data to divide its customers, using the data-collection company Experian.
Have you ever applied for a mortgage or car loan? Yes, it’s that Experian. That same company is going to provide information to cable companies to customize advertising. Just for you!
None of this is illegal, so who knows what all is happening behind closed doors of big buildings?
So next time you’re worried about “online privacy”, get over it. For a few bucks anyone can know more about you than a lifetime of facebook statuses and youthful pictures can convey.
One Response to “Privacy is a myth”
March 8th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Good point Mike. However, I think that begs the bigger question of what can we do to limit our footprint in those databases. For example, not giving SSN at all when signing up for utilities and services. For example, Charter insisted they needed my SSN to get service from them. I said I don’t give that out. Short and short, had to actually go to their local branch office and sign up for service. I was able to sign up without giving my SSN. Usually, you can get signed up without an SSN or DL number, just takes time and pushing the issue.
You mention cost savings cards, simple solution to that is don’t use them. While Publix may cost more than other places, one reason I shop there and Wal-Mart is there are no consumer “loyalty” card requirements. Their are ways to stay out the databases. It all depends on the level of inconvenience you’re willing to go through.
Great post though about putting things in perspective with regards to Facebook. I think however, Facebook and the like are still more dangerous to most people in their minds as those embarrassing pictures are much more accessible by the general public (ie. friends and family) than all the demographic data that is housed at the data brokers. Sure big brother and other companies may be able to see you buying a case of beer per week, but that’s not near as bad as your pastor seeing pictures of you sloshed and hooking up with some random chick on Facebook, right?
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