What reasons are there for being concerned about companies like google and meta etc collecting data and tracking me? - eviltoast

Please understandnim asking this question from a genuine place. I dont want the quora answer, i want the tech savvy, security expert minds of my fellow lemmings. If thats ok?

What happens to this data? What can/do they do with it? and why are so many people concerned about google tracking them?

Do i as an average user need to be concerned?

If so, What sorts of things can i do to avoid being tracked? Preferably without too much comprimise.

  • Rokk@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    1 year ago

    Cambridge Analytica stuff though I think mostly revolved around them identifying more vulnerable users.

    I don’t consider myself vulnerable to this stuff (I may consider grandparents and certain friends a bit more vulnerable) - should I still be worried about them having my personal data? I obviously would rather they don’t have my vulnerable relatives data so they aren’t manipulated, but for me personally does it matter?

    • doublenut@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      1 year ago

      You not considering yourself vulnerable to this stuff makes you exactly the type that is vulnerable to this stuff.

    • Professorozone@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      That’s kind of silly really. Consider the example above where the woman gets fired for being pregnant. Now just pretend it was a man thing instead. What if you are diagnosed with a curable cancer, but your employer only sees oncology and fires you. What if they find out you go to a bar that is NEAR a gay bar and they just establish a policy that draws a radius around them? I can go on forever. You don’t have control over what makes you vulnerable.