With enough aggregate data points to the intersectional interests of enough people, anyone is capable of identifying individuals. The “anonymous data” that is legal to sell is trivially de-anonymized. This has been known for nearly a decade, US privacy laws have failed to update privacy standards in light of this, and companies tend towards the optimal and cost effective solution (read: cheapest and minimum required).
That’s true, but there still a very big difference between aggregated data on ad-driven models and individualized psychographic profiles. The latter is terrifying and should not even exist. However, the US government is ok with them as long as they reside in the possession of US businesses.
For those of you unfamiliar with the insane detail of psychographic profiling, there’s a very accessible documentary on Netflix called “The Social Dilemma” that is worth the watch. For those who are unaware of how psychographic profiling can influence perceptions of the world, there’s another called “The Great Hack” about Cambridge Analytica’s influence on Brexit and the 2016 US election. Both are narrated and written by experts in their respective fields.
Oh, it’s absolutely not. We’re in full agreement there. Congress never said it was about privacy. They said it was about keeping US citizens from the influence of hostile foreign nations.
With enough aggregate data points to the intersectional interests of enough people, anyone is capable of identifying individuals. The “anonymous data” that is legal to sell is trivially de-anonymized. This has been known for nearly a decade, US privacy laws have failed to update privacy standards in light of this, and companies tend towards the optimal and cost effective solution (read: cheapest and minimum required).
That’s true, but there still a very big difference between aggregated data on ad-driven models and individualized psychographic profiles. The latter is terrifying and should not even exist. However, the US government is ok with them as long as they reside in the possession of US businesses.
For those of you unfamiliar with the insane detail of psychographic profiling, there’s a very accessible documentary on Netflix called “The Social Dilemma” that is worth the watch. For those who are unaware of how psychographic profiling can influence perceptions of the world, there’s another called “The Great Hack” about Cambridge Analytica’s influence on Brexit and the 2016 US election. Both are narrated and written by experts in their respective fields.
this is all based on the assumption that the data is safe… it is not.
Oh, it’s absolutely not. We’re in full agreement there. Congress never said it was about privacy. They said it was about keeping US citizens from the influence of hostile foreign nations.