In the eyes of some, there is a raging battle for the privacy of the consumer Internet. In fact, The Guardian recently wrote that in the era of big data, the battle for privacy had already been fought and lost.
I argued this point on LinkedIn recently, and made a bold claim that big data and privacy could in fact be friends.
And the reason for my argument: There never was (or hasn’t yet been) a true battle.
We haven’t yet experienced the equivalence of a "Data GFC", or even an event that raises enough eyebrows to unilaterally overcome the apathy most Internet users express towards the use of their data.
So the big question I keep thinking about; what will it take for the broader consumer Internet to not only understand the potential value of their data, but more importantly, to voice how, where and when they believe their data should be used?
Sorry to do it, but the Edward Snowden saga continues to receive significant media attention and as far as that media attention is concerned, the best or worst is yet to come.
If the plot thickens, will it be enough to garner more mass media attention and deliver powerful messaging that actually spurs action to millions?
I am doubtful.
Why?
Well, I for one don’t merely want to be told about a problem (unless it’s one I intend to help solve). If there’s a problem and trusted solution however, the narrative changes and my interest increases significantly.
But I’m using myself for an example here, and unfortunately and fortunately due to the work I do in technology, I’m completely exposed to the highs and lows of both data and privacy.
So when I was writing this post, I actually called my mum. My mum’s a highly intelligent woman, however isn’t a ‘digital native.’ She uses Facebook, regularly watches YouTube, banks online and does basically everything normal mobile and desktop Internet users do on a day-to-day basis. She is pretty proficient online.
I asked her whether she had ever given though to what Facebook, or any other sites she uses regularly do with her data.
Mums’ response was basically that she trusted Facebook to be highly secure, and that she didn’t presume they did a great deal with her data. She even mentioned that she didn’t notice much advertising.
I wasn’t really surprised. After all, this validated my argument that the ‘war for privacy’ has never actually been fought. And, for the most part, everyday Internet users are still completely unaware of how, where and why their data is being used.
My mum, until our conversation, had never once given thought to her data profile, and the ways through which various companies were utilizing her data as a highly valuable commodity. She hadn’t given any thought to the monetisation of her ‘data profile,’ and my rationale: why should she?
My mum, and for the most part, a very large proportion of the total consumer Internet have never been given a compelling enough reason to ask those types of questions, or even care about how their data is or isn’t being used.
My immediate question is, what’s the tipping point? What will it take for everyday people to take notice, take up arms and fight back for their privacy?
I’m confident it will happen eventually, but what if it’s too late? Perhaps we should be listening to eccentric millionaire and online security entrepreneur John McAfee by not trusting Google.
But let’s hypothesize for a moment and say they did really care, they did know, and they sure as hell weren’t happy about it. Would that matter?No. Because they haven’t been given a solution. But, the likes of Meeco.me and many others are beginning to pave the way for privacy conscious consumers.
This data and privacy story is double-edged sword, and both are equally sharp. For a privacy by design¹ or #takebackcontrol revolution to occur at meaningful scale, both sides of the sword need to become useful, and by that what I mean is: people need to be given a reason to care that there data is being utilized and monetized against their will, and, they need to be given a highly effective, trusted and proven alternative to what they currently know.
Over a billion users aren’t just going to drop off Facebook. It’s just not going to happen. People aren’t going to all begin using DuckDuckGo, because when you want to search something, you Google it. You don’t ‘surf the internet’ anymore, you just Google it.
The big brands have traction, and hundreds of billions of dollars say they that aren’t going to slow down. So what do you do? You make them part of it!
Data and privacy can co-exist. Data can be monetised and used to solve high-value problems that are meaningful to individuals, groups and organisations.
The battle for privacy hasn’t yet been waged, at least not at any meaningful scale. But, the likelihood of it occurring is incrementally increasing, day-by-day. If this battle does occur, we’re all part of it, and, we need to understand that both sides matter. Big data, data analytics, predictive modeling and even AI aren’t evil (I can’t speak for AI just yet, let’s see how that one plays out). They can, and are being used in extremely valuable ways, but we need to give them the right opportunities to do that.
Privacy is also important. But, neither are worth anything without each other.
No one is going back to the stone ages any time soon, so we need to accept that privacy means something different now. That’s what the likes of the Respect Network and its members stand for.
Privacy is contextual, and privacy in the era of context can be achieved.
We are at the very beginning of the personal data economy, so welcome. This is a new era in of itself, and regardless of the potentials of peril, I for one am very excited to be a part of it.
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¹ This web page is no longer available. To view an archived copy click here.
