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"Is the conversation about privacy finally changing?"
Yesterday during a little pod chat, @TorBair asked this.
For so long, privacy has been "for people with something to hide" - or simply easy to trade in the name of convenience.
But maybe, just maybe, that's changing. 👇
Yesterday during a little pod chat, @TorBair asked this.
For so long, privacy has been "for people with something to hide" - or simply easy to trade in the name of convenience.
But maybe, just maybe, that's changing. 👇
2/ First, the Cambridge Analytica-Facebook situation did mark something of a seachange. Whether accurate or not, for the first time, people felt like there was a consequence to the mishandling of their data (i.e. the 2016 US presidential election results).
3/ Second, since then, barely a week has gone by without some major data breach (although in truth, this could as easily desensitize people as make them vigilant, but regardless the media attention shows the growing prominence of the issue). gizmodo.com/lab-testing-gi…
4/ Third, politicians are *choosing* privacy as an issue. Again, whether it is all political showmanship and reading the crowd or genuine indignation, the more leaders rail, the more the base level expectation and awareness around privacy increases. newyorker.com/tech/annals-of…
5/ But to me, one of the biggest forces that could shift the conversation are other major brands aggressively trying to leverage privacy as a business advantage.
Apple's WWDC yesterday was basically a privacy event. @APompliano today: offthechain.substack.com/p/the-new-worl…
Apple's WWDC yesterday was basically a privacy event. @APompliano today: offthechain.substack.com/p/the-new-worl…
6/ Facebook and Google's business models are based on user data. Apple's business model is based on selling real things to users. This means Apple has the privilege to make user privacy an issue.
And they have been, back to the Jobs days. money.cnn.com/video/technolo…
And they have been, back to the Jobs days. money.cnn.com/video/technolo…
7/ or more crypto-minded validation of Apple as privacy centric, check out @fluffypony speaking with @PeterMcCormack. He begins speaking about Apple (as compared to Google and some others) around 27:45 whatbitcoindid.com/podcast/why-cr…
8/ Anyway, yesterday's WWDC reached a new apex for Apple and privacy. It wasn't just the idea of privacy and permission - it was actual products and services designed to provide a solution to privacy.
9/ @QWQiao and many others in the crypto space immediately spotted echoes of concepts that our industry has been exploring
10/ One of the best explanations of the significance of Apple sign on in terms of the broader tech landscape I've seen comes from @mayazi
10/ So let's go back to the original ?: is the narrative of privacy finally shifting?
If it were just the data breaches, I'd say no.
If it were just politicians beating the regulatory drum, I'd say no.
If it were JUST a big brand making it a competitive point, I'd say no.
If it were just the data breaches, I'd say no.
If it were just politicians beating the regulatory drum, I'd say no.
If it were JUST a big brand making it a competitive point, I'd say no.
11/ But take them all together? I mean, shit. Maybe.
And when it comes to the battle between privacy and surveillance that will inevitably have an outsized impact on the texture of our world over the next decade, "maybe" is a hell of a lot better than where we've been.
And when it comes to the battle between privacy and surveillance that will inevitably have an outsized impact on the texture of our world over the next decade, "maybe" is a hell of a lot better than where we've been.
