We're giving too willingly of ourselves. These corporations that are collecting and sharing our data are using this knowledge of us to create more and more addictive platforms. Back in the day the Pope had his confessional box, along with an army of spies to get the same sort of information we willing give of ourselves today.
If you let someone know 'too much' about you in your personal life that person ultimately can choose to use that information against you. I'm sure we can all think of that old friend who betrayed your trust.
Humanity on whole is very trusting of our technological friends.
This technology has already betrayed us all, terribly. It was done so slowly and seductively that we can't blame anyone who shaking in the trap next to us. As we constantly and methodically check the feeds and inboxes we release steady stream of dopamine in our minds and it has blinded us to what is really going on.
We are living in a Post-Truth era. As we allow the tech giants to apply their algorithm to what is "True and accepted scientific fact" we have unwittingly found ourselves well-within a society controlled by a 'Ministry of Truth'. Many people have figured this out, we've seen the post from that random guy from high school exclaiming about how he's 'LEAVING FACEBOOK FOREVER' only to be back weeks later posting something-or-other.
It's an open secret now and the mantra seems to be "I've got nothing to hide".
If it were about seeking out each and every illegal act a person did during the day it's reasonable to consider that it could be done. However the intent behind the big collection efforts is less about seeking out daily crime and more about creating a inescapable framework for the mind. The slicker the delivery system became, the more we turned a blind eye to our 'tech slavery'.
We've given the controllers an open window into our minds, and they use it to tamper and create a consciousness not entirely our own. We click and scroll our way into a nasty tech addiction and in turn give over more and more information that makes the platforms ever more addictive.
Like everything it's about finding the balance between using a tool and a tool using you. The old adage is correct in this case "If something is free then you are the product". We all have to decide to our own measure just where the line in the sand is.
It seems like many people are deciding to take a deeper look into the deep data dive that they are being subject to. However, The beast will march on and despite the efforts a person might take it looks like the future will include some sort of hellish technological singularity.
When to act and to what measure?
Stage One
• Unplugging from social media?
• Changing platforms to those that respect privacy?
• Support censorship-free platforms?
Stage Two
• Unplugging the net or wifi for many hours per day
• Investing in older tech for phone, camera, aps
• Guard your privacy
Stage Three
• Move to a remote area
• Completely unplug from the grid
• [redacted]