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i really don't see any harm in tracking. What are people afraid of? the article was not in any way able to show how it harms people.

When you go to the starbucks, and the waiter recognizes you and remembers your name, is that creepy? What if they remember that your usual drink is a latte and remembers that the next time you come is that creepy? What if, heaven forbid, they tell a coffee company that you like dark roast, and now you receive an advertisement brochure in the mail for a dark roast coffee you wanted to buy anyways.

I really don't see the harm. Is it the fact that they have the info? or is it what they might do with it?

are people worried about embarrassing websites they've visted? I get that. But, for that you just use incognito mode.




> What are people afraid of?

> I really don't see the harm.

> are people worried about embarrassing websites they've visted?

There are so many reasons you should be concerned. If not for yourself, then for the sake of others.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothing_to_hide_argument

I don't want to have a personal relationship with merchants, but I especially don't want their marketing panopticon piecing together the lives of Americans.

> But, for that you just use incognito mode.

That doesn't work. Fingerprinting can still track you.


Shocking that I'm being downvoted. I couldn't have imagined this change in tone ten years ago.

Things have changed since the Stallman era. I don't approve of his sexism, but he was absolutely correct about liberty and spying.


I always thought that if the government wants to get you, then they'll definitely get you. The powers of government are already so vast, Not having your browsing history won't stop them one bit.


There's quite a difference of scale between the staff of a particular shop knowing what I'm up to when at that shop, but nothing else, and what amounts to automated surveillance tracking me around vast swathes of my (online) life and trying to aggregate everything together in one single profile.


Totally agree. I've seen countless articles on this subject yet I cannot really say what people are afraid of.




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