"Personal
data needs to be regarded as a human right, just as access to water is a human
right. The ability for people to own and control their data should be considered
a central human value. The data itself should be treated like property and
people should be fairly compensated for it.
"As
a musician, I benefit from the copyright system that attaches ownership rights
to my lyrics and instrumental tracks. Why should the data that I generate be
handled any differently? It makes no sense that the information is used as the
raw material to produce billions of dollars of income for massive “data
monarchs” yet is of no financial value to
me....
"But
in the five years since that lunch in Davos, these data monarchs—companies like
Facebook and Google that collect, store, mine and sell data—have expanded into
giant businesses. While these companies that give away “free” services have
grown rich, the data that belongs to their users has at times been compromised,
and people’s digital habits sold, often without their full knowledge.
"The
consequences have included fake news and groups that have influenced the outcome
of America’s presidential election and Britain’s “Brexit” referendum to leave
the European Union. Phony social-media campaigns have been launched in South
Africa designed to create chaos. So much for a “free” account. Has this ugly
outcome that has divided societies on three continents been worth the
trade?...
"There is no data freedom when the options of who to
sign up with are limited, the data monarchs rake in billions and all one gets is
a “free” account bursting with advertising, faux news and lame “sponsored
content”. The current arrangement feels lopsided, benefiting the data monarchs
more than it benefits individuals and communities.
"Payment
is one way to redress the balance. If personal data has been used to build a
handful of companies that exceed $3trn in market value, it should absolutely
have monetary worth. But so is transparency about the terms of trade. I want to
have it clearly explained in plain language who has access to my camera, to my
photos, who’s listening to my microphone, and who gets to use this information.
Are my apps tracking my activity and selling information about me? Promisingly,
Europe is making progress with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to
help rebalance data rights to be more transparent and fairer to
people...."
Comments
Post a Comment