Slashdot Mirror
Ask Slashdot: How Is It Even Legal For Websites To Gather And Sell Users' Data?
Long-time Slashdot reader dryriver sees it like this:
Lets say that I follow a person named John D. around for days without permission, make note of what John D. does and where he buys with timestamps accurate to the second without John D. knowing it is happening, analyze what kind of personality traits John D. has, enter that data into an electronic database where it is stored forever, and also make the data purchaseable to any third party who is interested.
Would I be breaking the law if John D. has not given me explicit permission to do this? Very likely. If this is the case for "meatspace data gathering", how can websites justify gathering information about visitors, and selling that information to third parties?
How would you answer this question? Attempt your own best explantions in the comments. How is your country balancing the need for online privacy with actual laws governing what can and can't be collected?
How is it even legal for web sites to gather and sell users' data?
Would I be breaking the law if John D. has not given me explicit permission to do this? Very likely. If this is the case for "meatspace data gathering", how can websites justify gathering information about visitors, and selling that information to third parties?
How would you answer this question? Attempt your own best explantions in the comments. How is your country balancing the need for online privacy with actual laws governing what can and can't be collected?
How is it even legal for web sites to gather and sell users' data?
The submitter seems to have some misunderstanding about how law works. "Very likely illegal"? What law would be violated? The submitter doesn't seem to quite understand that laws are written down, and given numbers for easy reference. For example, web sites must comply with US Code 2257. Unless the submitter can point to USC [number], they have a *feeling*, not a law.
I used to work as a private investigator and I did follow people. I had to be very diligent about documenting what I saw, because a PI is not supposed to tell the client or court what they *think*, only exactly what they *saw*. As a PI, I couldn't say "he's boning his secretary". I had to say "at 6:35 PM the subject entered hotel room #123 with a blonde woman of medium height. Both parties left the hotel room at 7:40". I can't speculate about what they did in the hotel room (could be discussing his campaign for governor of Arkansas), so I have to be specific about what I saw to allow others to decide how to interpret the facts.