This article was originally published by Vass Bednar on November 9, 2020. Some pharmacies are able to use the data you shared to register for your flu shot [LIST] for advertising purposes. Are we down with that?

We’ve spent the last few weeks unpacking what privacy means in the online world. One theme that seems to be consistent is the lack of consistency in the way privacy, particularly with consumer data, is interpreted and handled. Companies use the guise of privacy policies to create their own definitions that ultimately suit their needs. And as consumers, it’s time that we create our own definitions, for things which matter most to us, individually.

Privacy is iPhone. Or so Apple would have you believe in their recent advertising campaigns. Let’s put aside the faintly ridiculous notion that an electronic device can in fact embody privacy, and instead take a look at some recent news Apple has made that would appear to further question their claim.

Interesting things are happening in the UK at the moment, on many fronts, but not least personal data. For a country still bound by the European data regulations (GDPR) it may be reasonable to assume this would mean the country would have the least amount of controversy around personal data use. However the National Health Service (NHS) there seems to have done it’s best to find every loophole possible under the guise of “consent” and “opt-out”.

The Financial Times in the UK has released a brilliant short film that summarizes nearly everything that is wrong with the current data use and privacy landscape. The film does an excellent job of presenting the highly possible ‘existential threat’. The argument many people make when they freely and unwittingly cede control of their data is simply “I don’t mind a few targeted adverts, in fact they are quite handy. Besides, I’ve got nothing to hide”. Unfortunately that misses a couple of quite serious points. 

There has been considerable action from governments across the globe to introduce regulations, restrictions and even fines for big tech companies in recent weeks. The goal? To limit the power that big tech has. But are the measures that are being taken addressing the problems that have contributed to the growing power companies such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have in the world?