Privacy Policies

Privacy policies are used everywhere these days, and very few of us actually read what we're agreeing to. While most of us are aware of this fact, we don't often think of the implications or if and how that should change.

We had some pretty in depth privacy discussions in class and there were quite a few different viewpoints being defended.

There's the obvious opinion that government regulation should keep shady privacy policies from existing, and there's the other end of the spectrum that believes that the government should do nothing. I stand somewhere in between. I do think companies should be able to have customer data as part of their business model, as long as the customer is clearly aware of what that entails. This would be where I think government regulation should step in. Companies should be enforced to keep their business model -- at least as it pertains to the customer -- transparent at all times. This means clear English policy statements, and informed consent before a business can enter into a relationship with the customer.