How Privacy Became a Commodity for the Rich and Powerful

Re:How Privacy Became a Commodity for the Rich and Powerful by k-mcgrady on Tuesday May 09, 2017 @02:06PM (#14302466)

>> As abused as they are, internet users need to build up some healthy "buyer beware" instincts around the tradeoffs.

This shouldn't be on the users. The disparity in knowledge between the people running the services and the people using them is huge. The reason a lot of laws (in general) exist is to protect the vulnerable from harm, including harm they don't have the capacity to understand. I think that's an important facet of this debate. It's not just 'free market/free choice' etc. The harm involved in giving up your privacy isn't fully understood by many people so it's up to the law to protect them.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Privacy Became a Commodity for the Rich and Powerful by ashark on Tuesday May 09, 2017 @03:06PM (#14302948)

It's also not necessarily anti-market to regulate this sort of thing. Buyers who are confident they're not being screwed and competitors who are prohibited from screwing people are good things, provided you want to provide a product/service and not screw people.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How Privacy Became a Commodity for the Rich and Powerful by _jal on Tuesday May 09, 2017 @05:13PM (#14303855)

> This shouldn't be on the users.

I absolutely agree. But unless and until something changes, that's how it is.

[ Parent | on HN ]