Privacy concerns are very real on the web, as they should be. But it seems the stigma with tracking has at least some roots in the illogical. In theory, there is nothing wrong with someone knowing more about you; the real question is how they get that information and what they choose to do with it.
There is absolutely no question that the web will be a better place for everyone (consumers and companies alike) if information is shared more freely, yet people tend to forget how that greater good will affect their own choices. Privacy isn’t naturally better than no privacy, it depends on the situation. And in the situation of the web, privacy isn’t natural and it isn’t healthy. We are analyzing privacy concerns through the lens of the real world, but the web isn’t the real world; it’s a digital world with different economics, different social incentives, and different politics. Stop reacting, start thinking.
