from Hacker News

Ash HN: Is Privacy Dead to the Consumer?

by labadal on 5/13/25, 6:16 PM with 2 comments

I've noticed that any time I'm buying software for my company I see, in detail, the subprocessors used, data collected and why. As a regular old consumer though, I get next to nothing when I sign up to a service.

Why do you think that is? Is privacy not that important to you? Do you feel obligated to give it up to get what you need?

  • by Bender on 5/13/25, 7:09 PM

    One could choose to not do business with anyone that does not accept cash. Less convenient but not the end of the world. There are also services that will accept cash and then go pick up merchandise. It's most commonly used for getting large appliances when one does not have a trailer but it can be used for just about anything.

    I went with the middle ground. Cash for anything I do not want tracked and debt card for Team Bezos and horse feed so it appears I do not try to be private. Same for my computers. Locked down Linux for daily driver and a Windows mini-pc to stream Netflix with Microsoft Edge so that I maintain some tracked activity. Should cash go away then I go New Order Amish.

  • by JohnFen on 5/13/25, 6:59 PM

    Privacy is very important to me. One of the ways I help preserve it is to avoid signing up for services unless I have literally no other option.

    Any time I'm signing up for anything, it's a given that I'm also signing up to be surveilled.