this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2023
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You can, anonymization and gathering data in aggregate, if implemented well, can ensure data can't be attributed to any one person. Who owns the data is a separate issue that you're conflating into privacy.
I get your perspective, but opt-in really isn't a great solution in terms of dataset. That's just the reality of it. Opt-in is super self-selecting and you get data that's basically an echo chamber of people who actually care enough about your product to contribute data. Being in an echo chamber doesn't make a great product.
No, you cannot. Every single bit of data collected, completely unconnected to your identify, is a violation of the privacy of the user. Connecting it to a user is worse, but that's irrelevant. Literally zero data created by the user can ever be acceptable to collect without their explicit decision to give it to you.
It does not and cannot matter how much less useful it makes the data. Taking it completely unconnected to anyone is a breach of privacy in every case.
I think you're expanding the concept of privacy beyond what most people are concerned about. I think its great that you have such a hard line stance on privacy, but to be honest from a practical standpoint, it's total overkill.
That's what privacy is. It's not getting spied on by programs on your computer phoning home.
If you collect any data whatsoever that isn't strictly opt in, you do not respect the privacy of your users. That's a tautology. There's no way around it. You have a right to nothing.
If that is your stance, then there is literally zero privacy anymore. Zilch.
If I'm walking down the street and somebody marks that one person walked down the street, does that invade my privacy?
In that case, how does the concept of privacy even matter anymore? There is none, and there never will be.
The street a public space.
Your computer is not. If someone came into your home without permission and sent data back to some random company, you'd have them arrested.
Opt out is not and does not resemble consent.
I mean sure, you can be dramatic and compare it to spying programs, or you can consider it like your average government census that prioritizes government programs to your benefit, except in this case its collecting WAY less data and it isn't even attributed to you in any way.
Honestly, I think its fine you think that way, but you have to realize its a bit like living in a cave, completely disconnected from everybody. Not everyone thinks that Linux should go that route.