[erikrothoff]

As a Swede I love this openness. It puts everyone on an a level playing field and makes it much less dramatic and reduces the value of the data.

[robertlagrant]

I don't think it reduces the value of data. It might reduce the acquisition cost, but not the value.

[cinntaile]

If the acquisition cost is lower, the value will be lower because you don't need to factor in the acquisition cost.

[Xylakant]

No, the value is what you can do with it. Now, if you want to sell the data, then having a competitor that offers it for free is reducing the value, but if you want to use the data, the value is independent of the cost.

[erikrothoff]

Yes, and if the data isn’t secret the number of things you can do with this data is limited. It’s like security by obscurity in reverse.

[DAVer98]

Fine for you to say when your salary is probably north of 100K+. If Im on disability benefit? Do I want my land lord to know this? Or my friends? I guess I should just shout it as I walk down the street. Embaressment and being an easy target dont exist in your world being healthy i guess and you're lucky.

[yaris]

Before landlord allows you in they ask for proof of income one way or another. And after you moved in it is quite hard to kick you out unless you misbehave. As for friends: if they asked about your income, you refused to answer and they still look it up - what kind of friends they are then? And btw the tax records show how much taxable income you had, not its source.

[DAVer98]

No landlord has asked me for proof of income. You think this peasants and lords system you talk about is mandatory ? I don't care about friends, people are a waste of time to interact with when they're all dumber than me.

[yieldcrv]

One thing I like about living in a country of 330 million people is that the probability of being chosen for identity based malfeasance is lower

Than in a country of 10 million