Unveiling the Unethical Underbelly of Data Collection and Why It Must Cease

Red
Nov 20, 2023
4 min read

Updated: Oct 1, 2024

In an era driven by technological advancements and digital innovation, concerns surrounding privacy have reached an all-time high. Recent scandals involving large media corporations have shed light on the dangers of data collection, particularly by social media companies. These corporations have been collecting, storing, and selling our data to the highest bidder without our knowledge or consent, leaving our privacy vulnerable to exploitation. With this article, we aim to inform you about what has been happening behind our backs, making you more aware of the situation and sharing our opinion.

ree — PHOTO CREDIT: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The Methods of Data Collection

Corporations employ a variety of methods to collect our private data, often crossing ethical boundaries in their pursuit of information. While some of these methods are legitimate and necessary for business operations, such as customer surveys, others raise ethical concerns.

Data can be collected through various means, including cookies, GPS tracking, Wi-Fi activity, credit or loyalty cards, facial recognition cameras, social media monitoring, data brokers, and smart devices [1]. These data-collecting methods pose significant risks to our privacy and sensitive information. Despite the potential advantages for business growth, the possession of such personal data by companies raises concerns, especially when consumers do not reap any direct benefits from it.

The Role of Data Brokers

Data brokers play a pivotal role in the data collection ecosystem. They are companies that collect and sell personal information about individuals to other organizations, often without the knowledge or consent of the individuals involved. The data collected can range from basic personal information to detailed profiles that include browsing history, social media activity, and purchasing habits. Data brokers use this information for various purposes, including targeted advertising and credit scoring.

While some data brokers operate ethically and with transparency, many others have been criticized for their lack of accountability. Some have been accused of selling sensitive information to third parties without adequate safeguards, while others collect data without individuals' knowledge or consent. The lack of transparency and accountability in the industry raises questions about the very existence of data brokers [2].

Questioning their Justification

Many companies collect our data under the guise of enhancing user experience. However, this explanation is flawed. The truth is that these companies benefit the most from our data. By collecting our data, they can create highly targeted ads that boost their profits, and they also profit from selling our data.

It's important to understand how these companies get away with it. Some companies operate at the limits of the law and avoid breaking any privacy laws, while others get caught violating them. However, they still manage to use our data against us.

In a previous article, we discussed the issues regarding "The Predatory Side of Digital Ownership & Subscriptions" [3]. We highlighted how companies often get away with doing things we don't agree with, but technically, we have agreed to it. We agreed to it by accepting the terms and conditions.

According to a Deloitte survey of 2,000 consumers in the U.S., 91% of people consent to legal terms and service conditions without reading them [4]. This means that roughly 1 in 11 people don't read them. This is dangerous because companies use our ignorance as a justification for their actions.

From an ethical point of view, this is a catastrophe. Unfortunately, since they don't care about ethics, even from a public relations standpoint, it's still a catastrophe. But they have realized that the small dent that bad reputation causes in their profits is so small that they can keep going, which just proves that they cannot be trusted with our data.

The Need for Regulation

Companies often try to hide the extent of their data collection practices, which can have serious consequences for consumers when they are eventually exposed due to hacks or greed. The companies may then provide convoluted explanations that fail to justify their actions, showing a disregard for the privacy and security of their users.

It is crucial to recognize that data collection does not benefit society as a whole; instead, it primarily serves the interests of these corporations and data brokers, who use the data to generate profits and gain a competitive edge, further feeding the capitalist machine.

Furthermore, the presence of large data centers storing such vast amounts of data has negative consequences. Companies must allocate significant resources to store this data, leading them to find "creative" ways to make more money, often at the expense of consumers who are burdened with subscription fees and other costs.

Additionally, these data centers become attractive targets for malicious hackers seeking to exploit the value of this data. As a result, our data is constantly at risk of being stolen, resulting in a multitude of issues such as identity theft, financial losses, and reputational damage.

The Way Forward

We need to address these concerns and ensure the protection of individuals' privacy; a robust regulatory system is essential. Companies have shown no interest in stopping their data collection practices anytime soon, so regulatory bodies need to step in and establish regulations to prevent them from exploiting our data.

Governments and governing bodies can safeguard individuals' privacy by setting limits on the type of data that companies can collect and more importantly, how they collect it. One effective approach is to restrict data collection to only those methods where the individual is explicitly made aware of what is happening, such as through surveys.

This way we can guarantee that the data companies have, are those, that we want them to have. This allows us to provide them with specific information only, which can help them enhance the products or services we use without breaching our privacy because our browser history and GPS location are not necessary for this purpose.

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