Should You Sell Your Personal Data?
from the everything-has-a-price dept
It's become increasingly clear over the past few years that it's corporations that are spying on people to get their information, rather than the government - as all the original predictions suggested. As people realize this, there has been more and more support for the idea of letting consumers take back control over their own information - and one of the cleanest ways to do so is to set up some sort of market where a consumer can sell their own info. While there are those who freak out at the idea of any company having any information about them whatsoever, those people can simply opt-out of the system altogether and end up with a lot worse deals and less targeted information towards them. Of course, there's an additional point which is not directly talked about in the article (though it is clearly discussed indirectly). Any such system would need a corresponding way for consumers to share information about the companies and what they've done with their own information. In other words, if the marketplace is to work properly the information needs to flow both ways. Not only does an individual have the option to sell their own data - but they also can see what the company has done with other's information, and then decide if the price is worth it.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Lawsuit
[ link to this | view in thread ]
90210
When asked my phone number I frequently give a local politician's number.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Fattie, fattie - 2 by 4 ...
Do you really think a merchant has the right to know this much about your personal life for 3 cents off your baked beans ?
Who do you think pays to implement these programs ?
I can't wait till the insurance industry gets a hold of these grocery store records and then the fatties insurance premiums can be raised like that of the smokers.
Remember, discrimination is perfectly acceptable when it pertains to insurance.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Fattie, fattie - 2 by 4 ...
I don't have a single problem with this, as they usually allow you to type in a phone number, and they don't require that the phone number is valid (and you can give them just about any information you want, and they usually don't check it, just like RadioSmack.)
Someone else bought a rocky-road ice-cream cake, 2 gallons of milk, six 12-packs of soda, and three bags of chips Saturday...even though I paid for them and walked out of the store with them.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Fattie, fattie - 2 by 4 ...
A FREE SOCIETY DOES NOT SHOW IDENTITY PAPERS TO BUY BREAD !
Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects,
against reasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,
and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place to be searched,
and the persons or things to be seized.
I feel that your demand for identification jeopardizes my Fourth Amendment rights.
The privacy of my personally identifiable information is not a product or service for
which you are entitled to charge via a discriminatory two-tiered pricing system.
Please kindly instruct your computer to give me the lowest posted price on these purchases.
A FREE AMERICAN by birthright.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Fattie, fattie - 2 by 4 ...
[ link to this | view in thread ]