Privacy isn't a test

Maintaining privacy isn't a test of whether you have something to hide, but a test of your (dis)trust over those who want to know about you, whether they respect you, & how they will safely store what they find.

A better model would be if your privacy was something you leased access to.

I'd allow a plumber into my home, but not to stay for the rest of the week; our interactions online could follow a similar structure.

A social contract, a societal norm, means I don't have to explicitly tell the plumber they have to leave when the work is done.

A digital contract with a website could be the same.When we're done, we part ways, by default. They can present the option of an ongoing agreement, & I might agree to it, but it'll take shaking hands.

I should still be able to change my mind, & they can present updates, or stop providing their end of the agreement. A small start up should be able to implement this quickly & match the well-established companies.

If they mess up, make a copy of my data, they should own up to it. Punishment should be severe for hiding it, but lenient for honesty. After all, their reputation will take a hit.

Maybe someone can even AI-generate a quick website to track how many of these cases each company has.

My ideas aren't perfect. I mostly want to convey what's possible & encourage a mindset of how things could be better. So I'll keep throwing out ideas.

I think tech companies rely on & foster the idea that they're doing what they can with what's possible. But the idea of a globally connected world would have once felt impossible.

All I'm asking is that it's run better.