JOHAN STEYN: There are no good guys with our data among tech providers
The perception that there is no cost to agreeing to let others use our personal data is the hoodwink of the century
We live in a time when our service providers and governments can harvest more data on us than we ever thought possible. Many of these entities know where we go, who we associate with, our spending patterns and perhaps even our deepest secrets.
All too willingly we freely agree that others use our personal data. We believe that they can offer us better products and services. The perception that there is no cost is the hoodwink of the century. We pay a dear price indeed. There is no free lunch and in reality no free online access. We gladly, and mostly unknowingly, give these providers what they want: our data. It is like us leaving our doors and curtains open all day, knowing there is a stalker with malicious intent watching our every move from the house across the street...
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