The Value of Privacy
I know it might sound crazy for a privacy artist to start a blog.
I never thought I’d do it actually.
But I’ve realised, like a lot of people, that social media is an amazing way to share opinions and catalyse discussion on important issues. It is possible to use these tools without reneging your rights to privacy.
Marketing departments do it for instance.
Most bloggers and forum discussions that you see out there are actually driven by Internet and Social Media marketing companies trying to improve the keyword ranking of corporations. Maybe Tom who wrote an entry about his fabulous trip to Bali didn’t really go to Bali at all?..
This is obvious stuff, so is most of the other dodgey activity that goes on within the grimey and glorious Internet.
There are a lot of ways companies can use what you do on the Internet for their commercial advantage. They can also manipulate your choices online and in the real world.
I’m not talking about sneaky perv’s here guys, I’m talking about money-making giants.
Don’t worry about the little guys so much! It’s the big cloud-like entities which scare the dickens out of me.
I'm sick of being told to 'be careful' on the Internet, and to watch out because it's going to catch up with me in the future.
It's just like smoking, taking drugs, drinking alcohol and partying. We don't care, it's fun and hasn't killed us yet.
My real axe to grind stems from other people making money from me for free.
That annoys me.
It's like stealing a piece of my art, or my arm, or piece of clothing, and hawking it out to a third party!
How dare they I say!
That's my property, and if I want to sell it, cool. But if I don't, then goddammit, that's my right.
This is how I feel about my personal information.
It's a matter of untapped financial resources. And when I get really strapped for cash - I want to know that I can sell my privacy freely and that no one will have already mined my assets before me.
Now there's a new way to think about the value of your privacy.
