Data privacy is a myth
In recent weeks, the issue of data privacy has gained a lot of momentum.
Just over a month ago, WhatsApp notified its users of changes to its privacy policy. There has long been a hot button issue over how the company shares data with Facebook, its parent company.
Suddenly, mass hysteria. People began freaking out over the announcement, clamoring to join competing messaging platforms like Signal and Telegram.
The truth is, your data isn’t private. Data privacy is a complete myth. Your online activities and the data they generate are as private as a loudspeaker announcement at a football game.
I need a spice rack — many, many spice racks
Think about it: when you search for “spice rack”, it’s no accident that suddenly, your social media feed is filled with ads from ecommerce sites showing you pictures of spice racks of every kind imaginable. Unless you’re a spice rack aficionado or collector, you probably aren’t going to buy too many of them.
Before Corona, if you wanted to book a trip to Hawaii and checked flights online, suddenly you saw ads all over the internet for discounted airfare, tours, and travel deals.
None of this is an accident. Social media platforms make money from advertising, and the way they make that lucrative is to know everything about you so that advertisers can capture your attention and get you to click, watch, and buy.
Sure, you could clear cache and delete cookies or history from your browser, but all that does is remove it so anyone else who uses your computer can’t see/track your recent online activities. It doesn’t mean any of your online behavior is completely private.
Your online activities are a digital footprint
When you search, post, comment, like, watch 5 seconds of a video, pause in your scrolling, or click anywhere — all of this creates a digital footprint which can be traced to you. What’s private about that?
If people really had an inkling about what tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter knew about them, they would probably close their accounts immediately. The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma did an excellent job of shedding light on this issue.
The hysteria over data privacy is an overreaction
Having said all of the above, I believe that much of the recent panic over the WhatsApp privacy policy changes is unwarranted.
Here’s why:
First, none of this is exactly new. Everything I mentioned earlier in this article has been true for years.
Second, a reality check. I really don’t think that the likes of Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg are sitting in a conference room listening to you talk about your son’s soccer game or your upcoming Zoom meeting.
I’m betting they have other things to do.
Third, if people are really so concerned over their data privacy, they should read this sentence: the only way to 100% effectively protect your data is to not engage in any kind of online activity.
I mean literally — NOTHING. Close your FB, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and TikTok accounts. Don’t watch videos on YouTube. Don’t search for anything online. Call a friend. Ask your mother. Hope the Yellow Pages come back.
Because the only way to really protect your data and ensure total privacy is to completely disengage from the internet. With our ever-growing reliance on internet connectivity continuously rising, I don’t see that happening.
