Why should the Internet be free? All those new software programmes and those big servers all cost money. And if you want content don’t you think someone should be rewarded?
But what with? Monetising the Internet is tough because web surfers don’t like to pay an entry fee or a cover price. They don’t particularly look at banner adverts and those little pre-roll videos are seen with great irritation. So how about trading your privacy?
Media entrepreneur Peter Bazalgette was the man who brought Big Brother to Britain and thence to the world. He wants the Internet to be a place where creative people can profit.
In a speech to Polis he will argue that we should trade our right to Online privacy as the price for providing the incredible riches of the Internet. We should give a bit of personal information to retailers and service providers so they can sell us stuff. But he fears that the Government’s obsession with monitoring online terrorism may put the public off this happy arrangement.
Gus Hosein, who is a visiting fellow at the LSE and Privacy International will be arguing against.
The debate is in the New Theatre, Houghton Street at 5.00-7.00. Email us at polis@lse.ac.uk to reserve a seat.
In order to be able to trade something, you need to first own it.
Personally I’d like to have the choice as to whether or not to trade my personal data online as per Baz’s suggestion.
But the sad fact remains that at the moment there’s precious little of my personal footprint that search engines/ad networks/isps/social networks don’t already claim as their own. Read their T&Cs. They give you no choice as to whether to hand over your data should you wish to use their service. Where is the Premium version of google mail which lets me use this great service without Google parsing of all my emails and storing data which they then use to target stuff at me? Why doesn’t such a service exist?
I’d hypothesise that it’s cos long term my personal data (my “database of intentions” as battelle puts it) is too valuable to Google for them even to offer me the option of paying to opt out.
So yes, please. I’d like the right to sell my data – or not. But first I’ve got to have the option of regaining ownership to my own database of intentions.
In short, Baz’s horse has long since bolted.
Sorry I can’t make the debate in person.