Review of 'Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
Because I've been keenly aware of this for some time, there was nothing in the book that surprised me. However, this is definitely the book on this topic that I will recommend. Not only does the author make our current situation understandable even for non-techies, he does a better job than anyone else I've encountered at explaining why it matters - how mass surveillance undermines democracy and threatens personal freedoms, benefitting governments and corporations but doing almost nothing to make us safer and in some ways making the internet as a whole far less secure.
Most significant in my opinion, Schneier contrasts the broad rights of corporations to gather personal information without our consent and use it however they choose with our complete lack of any right to know what is being gathered or challenge incorrect information that might be damaging to us.
The author believes as I do that …
Because I've been keenly aware of this for some time, there was nothing in the book that surprised me. However, this is definitely the book on this topic that I will recommend. Not only does the author make our current situation understandable even for non-techies, he does a better job than anyone else I've encountered at explaining why it matters - how mass surveillance undermines democracy and threatens personal freedoms, benefitting governments and corporations but doing almost nothing to make us safer and in some ways making the internet as a whole far less secure.
Most significant in my opinion, Schneier contrasts the broad rights of corporations to gather personal information without our consent and use it however they choose with our complete lack of any right to know what is being gathered or challenge incorrect information that might be damaging to us.
The author believes as I do that data collection can provide better services and other benefits but that individuals must have the option to limit and challenge the information gathered about them and the uses to which it is put. Lawmakers and corporations have little incentive to change their practices as long as the public remain unaware or unconcerned about what is happening, so readers are encouraged to inform themselves and others, pressure their elected officials to act, and even dream up new business models that might make mass collection of data/surveillance seem less useful.
In the meantime, the author discusses some of the ways we can protect ourselves.
Read this book!
