The Internet is a surveillance state
No, no, no, no, no.<p>We are always under surveillance - my neighbours know I stay up late watching crap tv, the bookshop assistant knows I browse the comics section but don't buy, and a hundred people each day see me do weird or normal things.<p>I am not oppressed when they do that.  Embarrassed maybe, but not dragged of for "re-education".<p>As long as no-one uses the surveillance to force political outcomes from me or any individual, then this is pollution, not dictatorship.<p>Yes we need radical privacy laws - but not ones trying to put the genie back in the lamp.  There are amazing benefits from technology - the sharing of knowledge seamlessly across 7bn people is going to ,produce wonders we cannot guess.<p>But we must embrace this new world -  a world without secrecy.  For privacy is not secrecy - it is politeness of our neighbours.<p>The problem is not my neighbours who know, it is companies across the world who now know.  Their knowledge and actions are kept secret from me - and that must be prevented.  Sunlight is the best disinfectant applies to targeted ads as much as corrupt politics.<p>Firstly any organisation that holds informant that can be used to identify and track people must publish the identifications they hold in real time.  Expect a cottage industry of telling me about everything about me.  Oh and those cottage industries must publish as well.  So not a profitable cottage industry.
Seen me walk out the door of mcdonalds after paying with my Loyalty card - great mail me the link so I can see. <p>Secondly a legal framework that makes commercial profit from my identity only allowed if I consent and preferably if I get a cut.  Want to sell me ads - great pay me.  Oh suddenly finding ads less profitable? Want to sell me a coffee after that burger - you could use the freely published info mcdonalds has to fling my phone a coupon - but that's my information. I charge a flat 2c for every commercial use of my info - I get 2c even if I don't want coffee.<p>Thirdly, get used to the idea your wife instantly knows you are sleeping with the secretary.