Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

BaaBaaTurtle t1_ixi88aq wrote

I'm not saying the tax software is how your info is out there. I'm saying if you have a phone in your pocket, your info is out there. Geo fencing is a thing.

But it's even more basic than that. If you use a credit card, information is shared about your purchases with third party advertisers. The biggest compiler of your information, whether you're on the platform or not, is Meta. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/08/29/facebook-privacy-monopoly/)

If you use any of those membership cards at your grocery store, your purchases are shared with third party advertisers. If you browse on your phone, that's shared with third party advertisers.

Basically anytime you go somewhere or buy something or search something, that data is tracked.

And while your doctor can't share information about you, most software doctors offices use can share your data with third party advertisers (https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/13/health-privacy/).

This is why the attitude of "well I don't use it so I'm okay" is so misguided. It's an illusion of control that you don't have. Even if you take precautions (don't use the apps, don't go on social media, use DuckDuckGo, browse with Tor) you're not actually preventing third parties from knowing your data. We would need our laws to fundamentally change to protect any of our privacy.

1