Sometimes, it can feel like our data is being harvested left and right, completely outside of our control or consent.
Yet, we still have a powerful weapon to fight back against surveillance:
The power to say no.
As individuals and as a community, it is vital that we exercise this right every time we possibly can.
This is how we stand a fighting chance against the normalization of mass surveillance.
Hi - thanks for the writing. If there is some space for one little consideration. In the âRefuseâ section, when we talk about the âBeyond digital realmâŚâ can we also maybe bring the example to refuse sharing your phone number with restaurants, or grocery, or pharmacy, etcâŚ?
Great article @em itâs kinda sad how surveillance has been so normalised now that saying no to these sorts of privacy invasions in the real world and online has become somewhat frowned upon.
Like the amount of weird looks and push back Iâve gotten when I say âNo, I donât want the receipt texted to my phone number, I want a paper one pleaseâ.
Iâve always refused giving out numbers, citing SMS spam.
For purchases with cash, I always ask if cellphone numbers are required or receipts and itâs always receipts. With that said, I havenât really tried returns or replacements because the warranty period always expires first, even more necessitating refusal of giving numbersâŚ
Even with addresses fields, I only put the city address and sometimes even, that feels too much info.
My default position is âNoâ when asked for PPI.
A few years back, we were switching ISPs and they wanted a cellphone number. At the time I was the only one in the family with a cell and refused to give the number. The accounts isnât in my name and we have been a customer of this company in the past. A cell was never required before.
I said to the technician âWhat do you do when a customer doesnât have a cellphone?â. I got a blank stare. I then asked âWhat if I was still at work and hadnât come home early?â
Eventually, a confirmation code was sent to my fatherâs email.
Another time I got in a heat discussion with a cashier who insisted he needed my postal code. After saying no three times, he totaled up the order.
Is there an easy way in the EU to report websites who donât make âreject all cookiesâ as easy as âaccept all cookiesâ?
Fantastic article!
Here in Germany you can send an email to consumer protection and they will escalate it further.
Thank you!!
Some well articulated and powerful lines in there. Thank you for writing this.
Thank you Tidal-Rust! Iâm very happy you liked the article!
Itâs surprising how disarmed people become when you simply reply, âNo, thank youâ when asked for your phone number. Society has become so accustomed to people just handing out their phone numbers that this simple refusal catches them off guard. Iâve never had anyone ask me why I wonât give it, but people are definitely taken aback when I refuse.
When I traveled recently, I opted out of facial scanning at TSA (airport security checkpoint in the US). At the first airport, the guy said, âOkay, no problem,â and verified me the old-fashioned way. But at the second airport, the agent became a bit argumentative and tried to convince me to use the facial scan. I still said no, and she begrudgingly proceeded with the traditional method. When my wife stepped up and also refused, the TSA employee reluctantly said âOkay,â but then snapped her picture with the facial scanner thing anyway. I was tempted to go find a supervisor to make a complaint, but my wife told me it wasnât a hill worth dying on.
Itâs easier to reframe this by just saying âyesâ to everything that is open source or supports open source and a big NO to everything else. If itâs not open source the devil remains covertly hidden in the detail.
Not everything open source is privacy-respecting. I think itâs critical not to conflate the subjects. Look at PostHog, for instance. Itâs an open source analytics platform that has accepted VC investment. Not saying theyâre evil, just pointing out that open source != private.
Great article! I was recently presented with this option upon using my season pass at a major US theme park. They wanted to scan my fingerprint.
I simply asked the attendant, âis that optional?â and she just put a sticker on the pass that said âphoto ID required.â Okay by me, better than giving out my biometrics.
It was a good reminder that we do have options. Using a passport card instead of your Driverâs License when staying at a hotel is another good option; passport cards donât have an address.
I agree but having said that I find it to be an efficient way to narrow the options down with as closed source is always blobbed for a reason. Particularly so if it has a big tech stamp on it.