Information Privacy and the Generation Gap

 

Each generation has its "thing" that it grew up believing that causes consternation when the next generation doesn't believe. My dad had short hair, still maintains a self-assigned brutal work ethic, and has an unnerving self-created need to make sure he is the one taking care of all those around him. Those qualities, which I have inherited, are good. His distrust of "machines" and unwillingness to challenge authority are generational traits I, nor most of my generation, have inherited. My kids, however, take it to a whole new level.

Our parents didn't worry about giving their social security number out to anyone who asked because their generation wasn't readily caught up in identify theft, that was my generations gift to mankind. Technology usage in our generation created entire new industries, and entire new social, economic, and criminal opportunities and challenges. Privacy is one that pretty clearly shows the generation gaps, and may end up being the poster child of our generation and all that we stand for. It very well may be the biggest generational issue since the Vietnam war – only this time we have three generations involved instead of two. (I mean that in terms of highlighting an issue with significant generational viewpoint differences only.)

Our parents adopted technology begrudgingly, as a generation as a whole, one could argue that overall adoption in their ranks remains low. Our generation adopted and continues to adopt new technologies as fast as we can absorb – us being those mid-lifers with jobs and "real" issues to contend with. After all, we aren't just kids who can spend all day futzing around with the latest gizmo, web site, or internet language that pops up. We are serious people.

Which gets me to the point; we created the privacy issues at hand. We decided it was better to keep everything about everyone than to not keep it, which left the door open for bad things to happen. The governments of the world tend to be made up of the previous generation, no more hip to being in front of current generation issues than the generation before them was. As we get older, we get more comfortable with the way we've always done things – true in IT, true in life. So the lawmakers lag the issues – until we reach some sort of social crossroad, which is where we are.

I don't want people stealing my stuff. It is inconvenient at best; it is a serious problem at worst. Our previous generation businesses aren't equipped to deal with it any better than our lawmakers for the most part. Worse, when they act they tend to violently overreact or address the wrong issues, as they don't understand or want to understand current generational issues. By the time they have 400 hearings on a subject, the issue will have changed.

My dad doesn't want anyone knowing anything about him, whereas it would make my life easier if those I wanted to know things about me did – but those folks haven't proven they can be trusted yet. My kids couldn't care who knows what, because kids are stupid. They don't care how much Google knows about them, they just want the shiny new gizmo. We'll end up legislating something that no one wants.

It would be easier if the people I do business with, from the phone company to the cable company to the ticket broker to the grocery store were able to help me make choices based on what I really want. I get 4000 channels, and spend most of my time surfing to find things. It would be better if the cable guys said "we know you only ever watch these 5 channels on these 6 subjects, so we're only going to list the things that you may deem relevant first. That would be useful. The problem is that I don't want them telling anyone else anything about me. I would opt in – the key term here – to such a system if I knew that while they may share my data, it (legally) had to remain completely anonymous. I don't mind if advertisers know that I am 44, watch the History channel, have 87 kids, an X-wife, a dog and a cat. That way, I should reduce the number of irrelevant commercials sent to me. I don't want them to ever store, keep, or pass along my name, my address, or even my street name, clearly none of my credit card or like information. I'll happily settle for the issue of inputting my credit card and address every time I buy something knowing that information couldn't be saved. Unfortunately what would really happen today is the cable company would give or sell my information to anyone who wanted it, and I end up getting spammed, junk mailed, and telemarketed to death. That isn't cool. That sucks. I got yet another call from the Republican National Committee telemarketing machine this morning (letting me know that the Chairman personally requested this person reach out to me, which is better than the invitation to the White House for dinner one they used to do) even though I am on the "do not call list", have specifically told them to remove me numerous times, and refuse to give them a dime because of it. It's not only annoying, it costs them money. I'm going to trust our government to do the right thing on privacy regulations when they can't even do the right thing in this regard?

Information is useful, but privacy (and common sense) are on a collision course when it comes to a typical businesses use of that information. Because companies still tend to operate under the past generations business logic, combined with the next generation's ability to create "new" marketing, my generation is getting squeezed from being able to reap the rewards of all the advancements we've created. Business will eventually figure out that I will give them more insight into me and my world than they could ever get if they just ask, and act transparently and ethically when it comes to how they treat the trust I've bestowed upon them. It is in my best interest to give them information that they can use to make my life easier and more efficient. They screw themselves when they take the quick buck because unlike my Dad's generation – I still have a memory. The silliest thing is that it is simply bad business – who wouldn't (at least in my generation) buy from someone who pounded the message out that "WE WILL NEVER KEEP OR GIVE ANY DATA ABOUT YOU WITHOUT YOUR EXPRESS CONSENT - AND EVEN THEN WE WILL ONLY DO SO UNDER COMPLETE ANONYMITY"? The new world is about connections to each other, and about trust. You dinosaurs clinging to arcane business models based on the notion that you will own and control the information without ramification (even without laws) are perfect stock shorts. Thinking you can hide from the truth is a fools' concept today, and will (hopefully) kill you tomorrow.

Our kids may end up causing the final uproar on the subject. They will adopt the new technology as fast as it comes, and don't you think for a minute that they will even think twice when Google (or whoever) offers them a free phone with free texting (they don't actually know how to speak on the phone, but they have thumbs of glory). Even better, all they have to do is tell that company a little bit about themselves, maybe answer a few questions every now and then, and in exchange that company will keep track of everywhere they go and everything they do – in the real world as well as the virtual world. In five years they will know more about an entire generation – by individual – than anyone has ever known. J. Edgar Hoover would be proud. The issue isn't so much the bare naked exposure, but what will Google (or whomever) do with that information? I'd love to think their motives will be pure, but without tight legal control, the worst will happen. By the time our kids are old enough to care about such things, it will be too late. Today it's a pain in the ass mostly, but make no mistake, we have enabled big brother and we might want to consider the consequences before our kids welcome him in.

My dad may never be comfortable enough to divulge his secrets (although he will continue to deny the IRS knows more about him than anyone) to the cable company, but I am. My kids will sell themselves (and me) out without blinking. It is our generation's responsibility to tame the beast we've created – and to make the issue one about allowing no one to ever do anything with our information that isn't entirely anonymous, and without our specific opt-in consent. Assumed opt-in is crap. You don't read the license agreement, so you think our kids will? Business needs to learn now that you have a direct path to the consumer – no matter where in the world they are – and they have a direct path back to you. It's Web 2.0 baby – but that doesn't mean your crappy marketing concepts and quick hit money moves are going to be tolerated. You also need to recognize that it's just stupid – that if you don't build an absolute layer of trust with me that I will not only dump you in a second, I'll tell everyone about it. As soon as someone is able to filter the blogosphere and search to the individual, you might as well plan your funeral. Your ability to control the consumer's sphere of influence is dying. This is one of those times where doing the right thing is just plain good business, and doing the wrong thing is going to eventually accelerate your demise.

I just spent hours going thru some online service trying to opt out of the 987 catalogs I receive every day. I never buy from a catalog – I buy online, which apparently gives real or tacit approval to send me catalogs. Outside of Victoria's Secret, I don't want any – even from the companies I like and will continue to buy from – though I will stop buying from anyone who ignores my request. I love companies who market their "green" message and yet send me 83 catalogs a month (or those who use that fake popcorn packing materials, I really hate that stuff as it makes a freakin' mess, and also believe it will never actually decompose).

So I'm not sure of the correct process but I am sure of the answer. If anyone is smart enough to know how to get this message to our legislators by all means chime in. Maybe getting simple privacy legislation passed before we die can be our generations' legacy.

Comments

[MarcFarley]

Its probably too big a sausage to try and make, Steve. There are specific areas where there is overwhelming support for privacy - such as health records. On another related topic, I don't believe we will ever get agreement on how far we need to go to trap terrorists and what that means for human (privacy) rights. Its a cesspool to be sure, but it's our cesspool. I suppose the best way to stop it is to stop buying stuff from companies that abuse it. Then we'll start getting phone calls at dinner to join the new privacy watchdog group.

-----Good ending! The problem is what company do you buy from who isn't abusing thier use of your data? ---Steve