| > Somehow, I feel like the old, unregulated internet was better. I wonder if that is just nostalgia or there is something to it. >With an unregulated internet, any internet user has to take care of their own privacy and anonymity. Barriers for entry for new websites and services are very low. Data breaches and abuses of data can lead to users being concerned about giving their data to tech monopolies, which can enable competition. How is this the 'old internet' and not still the current internet. With exeption maybe to the EU with GDPR now, this is what the internet is: everyone has to take care of their own privacy and anonimity. Barriers for entry for new website and services are lower than they've ever been. You don't even need your own hardware, just rent it. >Regulations like GDPR arguably make users complacent and lowers their guard, So according to this theory, people living outside GDPR territory, like the US, are less complacent regarding their data? Do you really think the _average_ American is less complacent than the average European? I hardly think so. >The internet was doing fine for decades with minimal involvement from governments - why change things? The internet was literally built by government(s). Why Change things? Because we are now finding out people are building massive databases with personal information, bought from small, medium and bigger websites who happily sold it without telling users they did. GDPR prevents this. How can I be 'less complacent' and 'have my guard up' if I don't even know that companies sell my data behind my back? |
By assuming they will, and taking steps to not provide your data to all and sundry. At the end of the day, companies can sell your data because they have it.