Quote:
Originally Posted by DaleDe
The big companies collect statistics for sale. Not individual names and individual opinions.
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Not true. There is a reason why it's called big data.
Sometimes it's been accidentally exposed.
Most so-called "anonymised" data can be connected to real people. Google/Alphabet's Health data with NHS.
It's been proven they track & sell info on individuals, correlating even DNS lookups, IP, analytics, advert scripts, sites using scripts in Social Media icons rather than a link. cookies, clear pixels, browser fingerprinting (the Web design is horribly flawed), browser even reports previous site visited.
The most dystopian fiction writers of 1930s to 1980s couldn't in wildest nightmares have imagined the degree of corporate and state surveillance via the Internet, mobile phone (metadata, voice, SMS, location), GPS in cars also connected via embedded mobile (for diagnostics), CCTV, IoT, smart speakers and home security kit. UK is one of the most CCTV countries. There is ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) which unlike facial recognition works fairly well.
Smart TVs that report to up to three companies the metadata of broadcast program and discs used (if an HDMI connected player) apart from app & internet usage. Do NOT connect any player or TV to the internet, use your phone, tablet or laptop for extra content.
IoT such as Nest, Ring, Sonos and other smart speakers that report all usage to the Corporate.
Corporate co-operation with intelligence agencies EVEN in Democratic Western countries. Note only a minority of Internet users live in countries with any pretence of needing a warrant to tap communications.