Privacy V. Technology

Why would a food chain want to know your name, address, phone number and email ID for a discount coupon ?
To sell you, that's why.

Why would a Q & A site require you to sign up to view answers ?
To stalk you, that's why.

Why would a social-media giant provide you $20 dollars to download a supposedly harmless app ?
To enslave you, that's why.

Today, every two-bit player wants to get hold of your personal info, to leech you of both your time and money. Subtlety is a lost word in marketing, privacy is a lost word in evolution.
Paraphrasing Times of India : “V'Acy, P.R.I., beloved husband of T. Rust, loving father of F.R. Eedom and brother of Equality soon to be expired.

Will our next generation get free data by spending time on social media or free coffee by selling data ?
It is hard to say for sure but both look like a probable outcome. In a world where greed is seducing many, the word free is the new sexbomb. Truth is we as citizens are divided. While many respect privacy, the loss of it has never been considered as a threat to humanity. People are more than happy to sell themselves for a free VPN to save a few bucks. I fear a time will come when this is thought of as a welcoming change, a new dawn.

The other day an interesting question came to my mind, Where would privacy stand in the pyramid of essential needs ( or Maslow's hierarchy of needs ) ( image ) ?
If we consider Internet to be a physiological need, privacy would be around safety while greatly influencing both love/belonging and esteem. Many organizations for long have tried to tap customers by entering the market from the upper region of the pyramid, while trying hard to reach the bottom.
As you might have guessed, this is the likely cause of friction between privacy and conglomerates. What amazes me the most is that the stronger we are pulled by the force that is the Internet, the harder it gets to maintain a balance between the two. Eventually a trade-off takes place and most likely the conglomerate wins. A similar thought process holds true for the evolution of AI.

Do I want a world where technology coexists with privacy ?
Yes

Is it a realistic dream ?
Probably not.

Advancement in technology is fascinating albeit scary.

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