It’s important to note that while many of us believe that tech products exist for the good of most people, they do sometimes have a darker side that we need to be aware of. A good rule of thumb to go by is that if you’re not having to pay for the service, you are the product being sold. In recent years, controversies related to services such as Cambridge Analytica and other data collection and analysis firms showcased just how electoral processes were manipulated to a questionable degree.
That being said, this is just one cultural moment among an ocean of difficulty that leaves customers out in the cold. For those not in a tech-related profession or those who have the time to conduct deep research into these fields, we can be unaware of how we’re being taken advantage of. But individuals have a right to this information, and they’re starting to realize that. This is why Cell Tower Lease Experts https://www.celltowerleaseexperts.com/ are starting to become a vital tool for those who operate and lease land to cell tower companies rather than accepting predatory deals. If we can take that mindset and understand how to manage the sovereignty of our personal information and usage habits, we can make better decisions. Please, consider:
Protecting Your Data
Protecting your data is an important part of protecting yourself against targeting advertisements and routine online ID profiling. Browser extensions that block tracking, restricting certain operating systems such as Windows 10 in its telemetry tracking, using a VPN, or even installing Linux and utilizing services such as Protonmail can help you get out of the usual Microsoft/Google paradigm and may help you keep your data protected.
Read The Terms & Conditions
Reading the terms and conditions of every contract you digitally accept can be a real pain, but it can be worth your time to do anyway. For instance, purchasing video games online and using their online services could grant them further access to your online profiles than you are comfortable with. The same may go for how certain services use your ‘log in’ credentials when route passing through certain services, for instance when logging into websites via your Twitter account. When you spend the time to read privacy policies and T&C listings, you have more of a chance of enabling a better route forward.
Browse Alternative Options & Assess Value
Considering what value you’re receiving via a certain service and being ready to switch can ensure that the tech companies work for your patronage. This is where holding ethical values as a consumer can be important. For instance, you may not enjoy Apple’s price-gouging tactics to ensure customers are forever paying more to get around planned obsolescence, but your appreciation for their privacy policy may keep you with them compared to other brands. This shows that it takes a wide consumer to shift through their priorities and understand just what may earn their purchase. In this way, critical consuming thought will be yours to utilize.
With this advice, we hope you can stop being taken advantage of by the tech companies.
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