My data belongs to me
or rather: When is enough enough?
And with this question, I don’t mean when it’s enough with data collection, but until users no longer use Meta’s services. Not because it was recently revealed that Meta, through the apps Facebook and Instagram, has been secretly spying on users, or because there have been occasional massive data breaches; No, now Meta also wants to access the photos we have on our smartphones , but have not uploaded online.
We are the product
This is both generally known and a frequently used excuse for not wanting to deal with the topic. But how far are we willing to let the big tech companies intrude into our privacy? Because on the smartphone there are also data that other people deliberately don’t want to be involved in. Whether it’s pictures, notes, etc. What hasn’t been uploaded online is private and doesn’t concern Meta at all.
However, what if you don’t give consent? If you want your data to remain private? Will Meta then give up? I don’t think so.
Because whoever once spies on users in a hacker-like manner will do it again. And then in such a way that no one notices or it doesn’t even become apparent so quickly.
What does the proverb say? Whoever once licks…
And honestly, Meta has already won once, even though they used stolen book copies to train the AI. And the ones who sued? A slap on the wrist!
Now the question arises: If I buy or get a smartphone, do I have to live with the fact that there are pre-installed apps on it that you can’t simply delete without further ado.
Okay, it’s not impossible, but for someone not very technically skilled, it’s an unsolvable problem.
I can ask this question again and again: When is enough enough. When is it enough for you that the big tech companies do what they want with you and not what you want.
And it doesn’t matter whether it’s the smartphone, the smart TV, or Alexa. They all spy on us. And not just in one way.
So, When is enough enough for you? When are you going to pull the plug? Or draw the red line?
What else has to happen before you say: I won’t use you anymore! It’s not like there are no alternatives. Both smartphones and social networks without data collection and selling.
I ask again: When is enough enough for you?
Afterthought
It’s alarming how many people see the behavior of the big tech companies as legitimate. It’s simply a creeping acceptance; it becomes normal that we are spied on and the ’nerd’ has something to complain about again.
But are you a nerd just because you don’t want to?
Am I a nerd just because I don’t want a AI to read or answer my messages, to record my phone calls, or even to make calls from my device?
What I am, I am one of the few who think about this topic, digital sovereignty, and act accordingly.
Yes, I use Facebook, I use TikTok. I surf the internet, I shop online. But that doesn’t mean I have to agree that service providers track me step by step in the internet or even in real life just because I have a smartphone with me. And I can do something about it. That’s why I’m not a ’nerd'.
