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What Amazon’s former chief scientist says about personal data rights

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Summary

In this article, Andreas Weigend, the former chief scientist of Amazon, speaks about the importance of having control over our own data and how companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and data-broker companies often take and sell our data without our knowledge. He also talks about his experience trying to get information about his late father from the Stasi and how Donald Trump's administration may deal with data questions. Weigend believes that data can be used to empower people and that people should have more control over their data.

Q&As

What is the role of personal data in our everyday lives?
Personal data plays a role in our everyday lives by providing companies with information they can use to target us with ads, products, and services.

What are our rights when it comes to personal data?
Our rights when it comes to personal data include the right to know what data is being collected, the right to access and control our data, and the right to be informed of how our data is being used.

How can we gain more control over our personal data?
We can gain more control over our personal data by educating ourselves about our rights and understanding how our data is being used.

Is it ethical for companies to collect and sell our data?
It is not necessarily ethical for companies to collect and sell our data without our knowledge or consent.

How can we protect our data from misuse?
We can protect our data from misuse by being aware of our rights, understanding how our data is being used, and taking steps to protect our data such as using strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides a great insight into the data rights that we as consumers should have and the need for more control over our data.

👎 This article does not provide any solutions to the problem of companies collecting and selling our personal data.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about the implications of companies collecting and selling our personal data. It talks about how a lot of companies, both big and small, are taking information from us and selling it to other companies. It also talks about how we can take more control over our data and how we need to be aware of what we're signing away when we agree to terms of service agreements.

Friend: That is really concerning. It makes me think twice about signing up for websites and apps and what information I'm giving away. I think it's important to be aware of what kind of data is being collected and how it's being used.

Me: Absolutely. We need to be more mindful of what we're signing up for, and how our data is being used. And it's important to be aware of our rights when it comes to our data. We need to be able to decide who has access to our data and how it's being used.

Action items

Research the data-broker companies mentioned in the article, such as Acxiom and Intelius, to understand how they collect and use personal data.
Read Andreas Weigend’s book “Data For the People: How to Make Our Post-Privacy Economy Work for You” to learn more about personal data rights.
Consider donating to Marketplace to support independent journalism and help protect personal data rights.

Technical terms

HTML Embed: A type of code used to embed content from another website into a web page.
Podcast: An audio file that can be downloaded and listened to on a computer or mobile device.
RSS: A type of web feed that allows users to access updates to online content in a standardized, computer-readable format.
Data Science: The study of data and its use in making decisions and predictions.
Privacy: The right to be free from intrusion or unwanted attention.
Social Media: Online platforms used to share information, opinions, and experiences.
Donation: A gift of money or goods given to a charity or other organization.