All your data are belong to us

Many large corporations, including Apple, Google, and Facebook, already own a significant amount of our personal data through transactions on their platforms. As we continue to surrender more and more of our privacy, we lose control over our own information. The argument often made for sacrificing privacy for convenience is that companies like Facebook and Google can customize our experiences based on what they know about us. However, the author argues that giving up free services comes at a cost - either controlled information or the sale of important data assets that should belong to us. In the near future, IoT and machine learning will enable highly-targeted advertising and offers tailored to our needs. However, as our data becomes more widely available and distributed, individuals may begin to seek new ways to take control of their own data. This could involve a backlash against wide distribution of personal data or an emerging insurance market to protect and defend personal data.