Privacy of any nature when you utilize a device connected to the internet is quickly becoming a joke and not a very funny one. Just to name a few, Apple tracks your devices, Google scans every email you send, Lenovo actually has two programs to track your usage and of course there is Windows 10 and the data it collects and sends.  Thankfully in some of these cases the programs which track and send your data can be disabled but the fact of the matter is that they are turned on by default.

The Inquirer hits the nail on the head "Money is simply a by-product of data." a fact which online sites such as Amazon and Facebook have known for a while and which software and hardware providers are now figuring out.  In some cases an informed choice to share personal data is made, but this is not always true. When you share to Facebook or post your Fitbit results to the web you should be aware you are giving companies valuable data, the real question is about the data and metadata you are sharing of which you are unaware of.

Should you receive compensation for the data you provide to these companies?  Should you always be able to opt out of sharing and still retain use of a particular service?  Perhaps the cost of utilizing that service is sharing your data instead of money?   There are a lot of questions and even a lot of different uses for this data but there is certainly no one single answer to those questions. 

Microsoft have been collecting data from BSoD's for decades and Windows users have all benefited from it even though there is no opt out for sending that data.  On the other hand is there a debt incurred towards Lenovo or other companies when you purchase a machine from them?  Does the collection of patterns of usage benefit Lenovo users in a similar way to the data generated by a Windows BSoD or does the risk of this monitoring software being corrupted by others for nefarious purposes outweigh any possible benefits?

Of course this is only the tip of the iceberg, the Internet of Things is poised to become a nightmare for those who value their security, there are numerous exploits to track your cellphone that have nothing to do with your provider and that is only the tip of the iceberg.  Just read through the Security tag here on PCPer for more examples if you have a strong stomach.

Please, take some time to think about how much you value your privacy and what data you are willing to share in exchange for products and services.  Integrate that concern into your purchasing decisions, social media and internet usage.  Hashtags are nice, but nothing speaks as loudly as your money; never forget that.

"MICROSOFT HAS SPOKEN out about its oft-criticised privacy policies, particularly those in the newly released Windows 10, which have provoked a spike in Bacofoil sales over its data collection policies."

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