Silicon Valley companies collect personal data against free internet
Classic scenario for Silicon Valley, offers free services to the client, if you have the opportunity to become a money their generosity. The latest example of this is the deal between Google and the government of Sri Lanka, which provides free Wi-Fi coverage throughout the territory of that State. Only a few months internet giant supply on its own initiative a number of social housing projects in the US and released three free Wi-Fi networks in New York. Something like doing now and Facebook, which relies that the draft free internet access through the initiative Internet.org will eventually pay off thanks to advertising. The exchange in question - a free service in exchange of personal data - is widespread and well received by all who use the search engine and other services of any free e-mail. However, it seems that this is just the beginning. Silicon Valley companies collect huge amounts of data, including health, education, transport, energy. Insofar will invent new ways of using these data to obtain gains this type of service will increase rapidly. We may even imagine that one day the amount and scope of all these current and future services will enable IT companies essentially to replace the welfare state. For example, our physical activity is increasingly controlled by portable sensors, which means that very soon the mission of Health will be close to former promise - rather than cure the sick, medicine will monitor how not to allow them to get sick. The patients themselves will be able to recognize their disease at a very early stage, which will pay no state, and IT companies. Tech giants already changed beyond recognition those industries to which managed to get.
Now these disturbers of peace are ready to go even to the very social democracy. Indeed, social guarantees of Silicon Valley could hide surprises.Firstly, they are too unstable: receiving income from ads, at one point they may momentarily disappear. And services are often pale shadow of big ambitions typical of systems of public education or public information services such as the BBC. It looks attractive companies to earn profits by offering their services for personal data, which were previously paid our taxes the state. But how will this affect contemporary political parties? Right-wing and center-right parties will readily support model offered by Silicon Valley. Additional benefits it provides will have a nice and unexpected bonus. Leftists parties will prefer to reduce its dependence on ISPs - just as the previous generation leftist formations boycotting "EksanMobil" and "United Fruit". Center-left parties will lose the most, because if you sympathize with the transfer of a large part of the economy in private hands, they can neither attack Silicon Valley, nor to offer better conditions. No wonder that these parties so rapidly lose confidence. For example, the German Social Democrats may not like the instability of the economy with partial and incomplete jobs. But this is not much different than those offered by them 10 years ago reforms zasazdavaneto a large number of jobs underemployed. Sooner or later, the choice will have to be made. But if Silicon Valley the offensive against the welfare state, the forces of social democracy or should it counters with a creative solution that would undermine its position, or simply disappear.
The author is a journalist, author of the book To Save Everything, Click Here (2013)
