>> I think we should not expect privacy to meaningfully improve until the gap between end-user perceptions of the value of their privacy and corporate perceptions of the value of their customers' (or users') data shrinks,
Do you see this as a generational thing? I remember working for wireless companies in the 1900's when GPS got huge and companies wanted to start using tracking apps for their fleet management and every company we talked to refused to install it because of privacy concerns and the drivers (and sometimes unions) being 100% opposed to it.
Now? We have what? Two to three generations who have never valued their privacy enough to really do anything about it. While I agree with your assertion, I whole heartedly believe the road back to people seeing privacy as important may have effectively died with the Gen Xers.
It’s a bit more nuanced than people simply not caring. All things being equal, people will choose not to be spied on. Apple showed that pretty conclusively in my mind with the “allow app to track” toggle.
If your generational hypothesis is correct we should see that older people are less likely to allow the app to track. I personally doubt that but I don’t have the data. More likely is that young people are more likely to use newer technologies at all, and those technologies have other side effects.
People care, imo. Companies know this so they make it a pain in the butt to opt out. Plus, the harms are very abstract and rarely materialize. So unless a person has a lot of time to spend configuring everything, they usually don’t waste time turning tracking off.
Do you see this as a generational thing? I remember working for wireless companies in the 1900's when GPS got huge and companies wanted to start using tracking apps for their fleet management and every company we talked to refused to install it because of privacy concerns and the drivers (and sometimes unions) being 100% opposed to it.
Now? We have what? Two to three generations who have never valued their privacy enough to really do anything about it. While I agree with your assertion, I whole heartedly believe the road back to people seeing privacy as important may have effectively died with the Gen Xers.