when your personal information is worth more than $10

 

when your personal information is worth more than $10

The creepiest part? They offered me $10 to participate.

Think about that. They were offering money to get people to answer questions about their sexual orientation, and when I identified as a straight woman, I was kicked out.

I've been on the web since before it was even called the web. I know about surveillance and data collection. I still got sucked in.

Our personal data is worth BIG money. So why are we being offered a few dollars to hand it over?

And what worries me most is our youth. Many are growing up online without fully understanding how valuable their personal information is, who is collecting it, how it can be combined with other data, or how it might be used against them years from now.

Information about sexual orientation, identity, beliefs and personal circumstances can be deeply sensitive. Once shared, we may have little control over where it goes or how long it is kept.

We are entering a time when human rights and privacy protections matter more than ever. We cannot afford to be naive about surveillance, even when it arrives disguised as a worthy cause and a quick $10.

I've spent decades online. If I can be caught off guard, imagine how easily a young person might be.

Parents, educators and young people: we need to have these conversations NOW.

Ask questions. Check who is behind the campaign. Read the privacy policy. Think twice before handing over personal information for a small payment.

And remember: just because someone is paying you for your data doesn't mean you understand what you're giving away.

Our identities are not commodities. Our privacy matters. And $10 is a pretty small price to put on someone else's information.