[const_cast]

I think you're confusing cyncism with reality and logic.

It's not cynical to say ad-driven social networks are adversarial to their users, it's logical and unavoidable. Because they're optimizing for different things.

Networks want the best, most targeted ads, so they need the most data. They want the highest watch times and retention, so they MUST develop addictive algorithms.

It's like selling a cigarette. Is there any non-adversarial way to sell a cig? No. You're optimizing for the most smoking. Okay great, let's concentrate the Tobacco then so we have more nicotine. Let's use butane rings so the cig burns faster.

I do agree 100% with your points about legislation - this is the only path forward. And, about not humanizing corporations. Corporations are more akin to machines or algorithms.

But, because they're more akin to machines or algorithms, we can prove when, and why, they are working against our interests, and it's not cynicism.

[whatevertrevor]

The cynicism I'm referring to is not simply about recognizing the conflicting objectives at play. Those are abundantly evident. The cynic takes that to an extreme of "Since this entity is adversarial to me, it, and everyone participating in it makes the worst, most evil choices possible with blatant disregard to any consequences to others or themselves."

There's an illogical extension of conflict that's sometimes applied in this context, with heavily implicative language that's often misleading. No Google isn't interested in reading your personal email (as if Google as an entity could have any interest in the first place), they will definitely serve you targeted ads and sell product integrations based on it though.

[const_cast]

I would agree, but I will say the waters get murky when we factor in data breaches and things like this subpoena. Keeping data, even if it's just used for predictable usecases, isn't free. There's a liability there, a risk, that most users do not understand.

[whatevertrevor]

Absolutely. I'm not arguing there aren't many exposure vectors to having your data out of your direct influence. It's the quickness to jump to malice (on part of the companies) regarding it instead of a combination of many factors (incompetence, murky/weak legislation, myopic greed and sometimes actual malice), without using concrete evidence to make those judgments that bugs me.