Technology companies are firing back at its users to be more aware of the information they agree to when they sign up to use their services. However, most of us have chosen to ignore all of the disclaimers and rules companies make us agree to – there can be pages and pages of useless jargon written by lawyers to protect them in the event they use our data against us. Not only are there endless pages of fine print type information, but these companies regularly update their terms and expect us to understand what they’re tracking. Facebook is the main culprit in using information the wrong way, but technology experts are claiming we need to do better to educate ourselves because we make the choice to opt-in.
Ultimately if the richest and biggest companies want to maintain us as customers and want to avoid being regulated by the government they need to find a better balance of how to use our information versus managing their profits. Facebook is a proof that consumers will delete its services by not being responsible with their data. If it continues to pass user information onto third parties without true user consent and education, it might be gone in a short amount of time. Not all tech companies are out to get you – they simply gather data to make searches and recommendations easier for you.
While you might think you’ve got nothing to hide from anyone, you should really educate yourself on what information you’re actively choosing to give away. Some companies like Google make it easy to disable tracking of your behaviors, but you need to take the time to educate yourself in order to do this. Here’s how to check what information Google is collecting on you. And here’s Google’s entire privacy policy if you want to know more since it’s arguably the company collecting the most information on you.
Amazon
Amazon says it tracks any information we give to it on its website or any other way. Don’t believe me? Check out Amazon’s user agreement section here to see its entire privacy policy. Amazon will also release any information it deems appropriate to the law when it deems it necessary. Some privacy advocates may not like this type of disclaimer as Apple went to battle with the US government as it refused to break the encryption on one of its iPhones in the case of the San Bernadino shooting. In case you’re wondering, I’m not anti-Amazon in any way. I happen to use it almost weekly to order groceries and just about anything I can to avoid driving to the mall or to the store. I’m just providing information from its privacy policy.
Apple
If you’re one of the many millions of Apple users, you probably think of it as the one company who protects your information most. While you’re probably correct, it still collects a ton of data on you. It may not use your information now, but it can switch gears anytime it wants. Apple still collects location, personal information, and your online activities just like Google. Go here to read Apple’s privacy policy.
I’ve never been a fan of Facebook for a variety of reasons, even before the latest privacy issues. I firmly believe it is one company who oversteps its boundaries when it comes to privacy and will be the one reason why the government chooses to regulate tech companies. It failed to stop fake news, it shared personal information with political parties that influenced the latest election, and it is frequently apologizing for its behavior. If you want to read its privacy policy, which to its credit is being more open, you can find it here.
Other Privacy Policies
You probably use a variety of other services too. Here are some links from other major corporations with their privacy policies. They’re all long reads, so put some time aside to educate yourself.
- Netflix
- Snapchat
- Spotify
- Tinder
- AT&T
- Verizon
- Sprint
- T Mobile