Report: Internet Users Feel Powerless To Protect Their Privacy From Corporations

Mark Wilson writes: A paper produced by a team at the University of Pennsylvania confirms something many people have probably thought true for some time: the notion that internet users are unhappy with the way their privacy is undermined by advertisers and online companies, yet feel there is nothing they can do about it. While marketing companies like to present an image of customers who are happy to hand over personal information in return for certain benefits, the truth is rather different. Rather than dedicating time and energy to trying to stop personal data from being exploited, people are instead taking it on the chin and accepting it as part and parcel of modern, online life. It's just the way things are.

Comments

Do you mean "Internet Products", right ?

[x0ra]

Everybody expect free services. Nobody want to pay for anything, and they all expect privacy. Maybe it's time to wake up. Facebook, Google, Amazon or Apple are not charities, they are for-profit companies. They must find way to monetize their users' data. At the same time, Facebook probably wouldn't have been if it had been paywall'ed.

Re:Do you mean "Internet Products", right ?

[Scutter]

There are plenty of paid products where you, the consumer and purchaser, are still treated like a commodity. Just because you handed over money for it doesn't mean you won't be sold to the highest bidder. It's easy to just say "wake up", but I suspect that you missed the point.

Re:Do you mean "Internet Products", right ?

[Nyder]

Everybody expect free services. Nobody want to pay for anything, and they all expect privacy. Maybe it's time to wake up. Facebook, Google, Amazon or Apple are not charities, they are for-profit companies. They must find way to monetize their users' data. At the same time, Facebook probably wouldn't have been if it had been paywall'ed.

And yet Facebook/Google make most their profits on users data. Apple sells hardware/software mainly and Amazon is just trying to be the goto place for everything.

I think the problem is, we aren't getting a good enough return on the data we are giving them. I don't feel my data has done anything to improve my life or online services, but I sure as fuck know there are a lot of people living the cushy life by selling mine & others user data.

While google does provide some services, not exactly sure anyone is getting there money's worth using them.

DON'T PUT PICTURES OF YOUR COCK ONLINE!

[Anonymous Coward]

If you want to preserve your privacy, then DON'T PUT PICTURES OF YOUR COCK ONLINE!

Re:DON'T PUT PICTURES OF YOUR COCK ONLINE!

[Z00L00K]

That's probably the least of your or my problem. It just shows that you are a narcissist, but if you want to make a fool out of yourself you are welcome.

A much larger problem is the ability for corporations without my consent track my patterns on the internet and can therefore be able to connect me to political opinions, sexual preferences and which bank(s) I use and possibly also my bank account number and credit card numbers.

Disabling of third-party cookies do help to some extent, enforcing session-based cookies as well, but not completely. AdBlock can also help a bit. At least it blurs the image of me on the net a bit for the information gatherers.

All those sites like "doubleclick", "tradedoubler" and similar - they don't provide me as a user with any benefits at all. And there are a massive amount of such sites and very few are in the default blocklist of AdBlock.

Re:I think so

[Irate Engineer]

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong but I use Firefox with the following add-ons: AdBlock (no whitelist), Better Privacy, Google Analytics Opt Out, HTTPS-Everywhere, Noscript, Privacy Badger and Self-Destructing Cookies.

How are we supposed to know what add-ons you use?

Re:Wait, what?

[msauve]

"How?"

Realize that the Internet is not the web. Install an ad/tracking blocker. Avoid, or delete your accounts on Facebook/Google/Apple/"social media". Pay for a domain(s), and use different email addresses for different accounts. Use a VPN. Regularly clear cookies in your browser. Vote for politicians who "get it," and truly understand the Internet, surveillance and privacy.

Donate to the the EFF.

There's more, which is left as an exercise for the reader.

...Because it's NOT YOUR JOB!

[tlambert]

If you want to preserve your privacy, then DON'T PUT PICTURES OF YOUR COCK ONLINE!

As we discovered in the John Oliver interview with Edward Snowden, it's the NSA's job to put pictures of your cock online, not yours!