this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2026
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Most people can't even begin to realize what a lack of privacy really means for them. The amount of data collected on individuals by big tech is staggering beyond what a normal human is able to process or understand. So their peabrains think it's an overblown reaction. Just like climate change, if they don't see it, it does not exist. However, if you look at the US right now, it becomes apparent what happens if this data lands in the wrong hands. People who previously thought "i have nothing to hide so privacy does not concern me" now find out what it means when they are being targeted, threatened, silenced, deported, killed based on the very data they had no problem giving away, on Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp, in google searches, when buying stuff on amazon, on their phone in the form of location data, etc etc.
TLDR you might be well advised to listen to those techies because they know what they are talking about.
I've found that's the opinion of a small but vocal techie crowd. In my experience most don't care about it, they care more about features. And when they do care about data it's not about Google assigning an ad id pool to them, even with how accurate they are. It's more about direct selling and data brokers and how the government obtains data via warrants because of the whole fashi shit. Your and this communities opinions are not representative of the technology community at all in my experiences ๐คทโโ๏ธ
Problem is, that's not an opinion but reality. The mass collection, analysis and sale of data points IS happening and the consequences are severe. Ignoring it or talking it down will not make it go away. Let me give you a few examples on how your data is used:
Data brokers are selling this data to anyone who pays.
Price gouging: Your location data and your shopping habits are used to determine if you are living in a wealthy neighborhood or if you are shopping expensive things. Based on that data you pay more when shopping online
Your entire phone contacts which you willingly gave away to a messenger app might have been leaked and/or sold. Everyone who pays can now identify who you have contact with or had contact in the past. If one of them is on the government's radar for whatever reason, so are you now. Expect visitors.
Your period tracking app shows that you're late / location data shows you went to an abortion clinic in another US state. Expect visitors.
Your fancy ring security camera is being accessed without your consent. Who is that brown-skinned person at your doorstep every few days? Might be an illegal immigrant. Expect visitors.
One of the games on your phone picks up your live location data and sells it. You might have wondered why the game needs location permission when installing it but after all, how bad can it be...
Insurances, medical or otherwise buy your data to determine if they want to insure you at all and how much it will cost you. Did you not read your fitness tracker's TOS?
Criminals can use your data for spear phishing/spam. This works like a regular phishing attack, but is customized to you personally to fit to what they know about you.
You have googled a specific search term out of curiosity. This triggered a monitoring software and is now reported to the authorities.
I could go on, but I guess you get the picture. All this shit is happening already. Its about time to take it seriously.
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