One of the things I’m frustrated with is that I own top-end devices but I am fearful of using their top-end features. It’s because I have a strong hunch that despite the privacy policies of the corporations I bought them from, my personal data, IP, and biometrics are being back-doored out to the intelligence community, the military, or those of foreign adversaries. My question is this: Does anyone on Devrant have personal knowledge that my hunch is true? Or to the contrary? And to what extent?

Context:
https://twitter.com/wideawake_media...

Pretty bold of you to assume that the government or any intelligence agency is interested in YOUR data.

Stop creating fake problems in your head and enjoy what you want and how you want it.

@SidTheITGuy the government probably not, they have your data anyways as in your personal security number tied to your name, address, date of birth, etc. But agencies that went rogue, or corporations that are massively profit oriented will do anything to get your all of data.

You have two options: live with it, or invest work and time to deliver wrong data and make it worthless. There's technically a third option of not sending any data in the first place, but i'd argue that it's basically impossible (unless you're living without any internet, etc.)

I'm gonna choose living with it. Because I don't think any rogue company would find my data interesting anyway.

I can see the perspective from a general sense, like yeah companies shouldn't get to invade everyone's privacy just like that.

But from my own real eyes, I don't care much for myself. But I will fight for your right to privacy.

Interesting takes. A lot plays into “you’re not interesting enough” tropes. But I keep hearing these “world leaders” such as Klaus Schwab, the U.S. President, and basically the BRICS and G8 nations all talking about implementing some version of China’s very real and very oppressive social credit system. And they state the opposite. That your data IS interesting to them for governing YOU, individually. You can argue that your data isn’t “interesting”, but you’d have to ignore all of that and pretend it isn’t happening. It really is. It’s not some whack job conspiracy theory. It’s covered in no small depth by mainstream media and there are real and tangible proofs of its existence in China and its development elsewhere.

So, I’m still hoping someone who has worked for FAANG companies could chime in and say whether they saw actual projects, overt or covert, that seem to sustain or drive toward universal privacy destruction and use of personal information for personal persecutions.

Just saw this on another feed. It fits the topic well.

@stackodev if you look around here, i have mentioned who i work with, it's not FAANG, but probably very similar: every company is exploiting their available freedoms (including gray zones to the fullest).

So yeah, can confirm. Luckily it's not as bad in Europe, and honestly gotten better over the years, but whatever is possible can and will be used against you.

As an anecdote: Someone got sent a bill from their health insurance over 8k by mistake, and after it almost came to a lawsuit against said health insurance they recalculated and found out, that this person did not owe them a single cent. So financewise everything was fine, but some institution (that is not a government body) recorded all of it (because they collected all data they could get), and gave this person a bad calculated social credit, so that this person can't get loans anymore.

@thebiochemic Wow! I keep fearing that. Or an audit from the tax man for something I don’t owe.

@stackodev I agree, there are arguments about "individual" data, but at the same time I am objective enough to realise that people deserve their privacy and right to free speech.

If it comes to it, I will fight beside you for your rights.

@thebiochemic Holy shit that's cruel.

@stackodev and the facial recognition is a debate of the last decade.
These days it's the 6300 consumer characteristics.
Google it.
Your walk is manyfold more identifying than your face. And your belly button microbiome constellation around 200 times more precise than your fingerprint.
WiFi was producing 3d maps of your place (through any walls) in the cm range 15 years ago.

@scor Still, the fact that FAANG is probably sneaking that data out to any governments (not just Western) is a concern. They know I’ll never be able to hurt them by suing over privacy, so the “I Agree” click doesn’t protect anything.

Also, my wife and I work our asses off to make just over $100k. An amount I once easily made more than on my own when she wasn’t forced to work to keep us afloat. Except that, unlike before, we can’t afford to go out and eat or “live rich” like some people assume one can at that level today. The communists are eroding financial freedom in a most breathtaking manner. Inflation will be so high by the time I retire that the $2m-ish my financial advisor projects I’ll have by then will barely buy food for a year. Weimar Republic/Venezuela is in all our futures.

Oh yea, @stackodev
I was just about to reiterate @thebiochemic expression.
Corps are worse and quite often just contracting for any other entity just happening to have a "legit" interest. Then, once the tool is built, exploiting the hell out of it, it's variations and all market participants. To whatever political orientation. Not a single fraction of any remote scruple.

@stackodev it's stunning the sacrifices one has to make to just survive.
I can't even imagine what an average earning household eats these days?!
And this stupid glass ceiling.
Why the heck won't they let simple people with a fair moral compass therpass that 100k mark?!
One's got to commit the same crimes just so the criminal portion of wealthy people can't be blackmailed or official entities consider them all a too large group to investigate individuals or just play along.
Man. I'm out.
Just doing my society plus value and doing my best to a 100k, then let the criminals get eaten by their greed.
Hfgl

@scor Time is running out. None of this system is sustainable. It will collapse. Soon. Some will be caught in its replacement (100% tyranny through social credit scores). Learn to grow food and barter for goods and services outside the king’s feudalism (i.e. return to true capitalism).