Re-Instilling Trust In The Online World
According to a recent report, today’s top global brands are Amazon, Apple, and Google. Which should come to no surprise. Tech companies are taking over the world, and they have been able to do so easily because of the information they have. Specifically, information and data they collect from their users and customers. And in today’s day and age, data is power.
Which raises an important question: is it time the internet becomes more regulated? The EU seems to think so. With GDPR set in place, the EU has been able to put some power back into the hands of the everyday consumer. The US, however, has been slow to adopt laws that would do so. In fact, according to a recent New York Times article, “The United States is virtually the only developed nation without a comprehensive consumer data protection law and an independent agency to enforce it.”
It’s a hard fact to face. And yes, it is a fact. We currently don’t have laws or an agency in place to enforce online rules and regulations. Some people may argue that data protection is low on the totem pole of real-world issues people face, and that the allure of the internet is hysteria of it all. But, in my opinion, we’re getting close to a point of no return if we don’t do something fast.
The amount of information we, as consumers, entrust in companies is stunning. And since there isn’t a watchdog in place, much of this data becomes used and abused.
For example, companies that know about consumer socio-economic-political-cultural information, are able to curate messages and steer individuals to make misinformed decisions. (Dare I say 2016 elections?) In light of the 2020 election, CNN recently reported that Facebook is allowing politicians to openly lie on its platform. Corporations have far too much power, and it’s time to regulate how they use it. As we do in society, all people should have the freedom to feel safe and protected online too.
The road to regulation doesn’t have to be a top-down one. In fact, I believe it should be a collective effort together with these companies. The regulations may even help instill trust in people engaging with the online world.
Who’s with me?!
