this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2026
147 points (98.7% liked)
Privacy
4443 readers
128 users here now
Icon base by Lorc under CC BY 3.0 with modifications to add a gradient
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Why would anyone assume that something you are sharing on an app or online service would ever be private?
It even says right there when you agree to the services that they can disclose anything when required by law.
Why do people like you attack the victim? The company is the monster for burying this stuff in pages-long ToSs in the intentional effort to make these sorts of disclaimers hard to find and understand. Is it because the individual is an easier target to pick on because there's a name and face to this poor woman versus a faceless, evil corporation in the shadows of bits and bytes with no clear antagonist?
Yes, she obviously messed up but the greater blame is always on the data predator, no exceptions—because if they acted ethically (even if it was legal, it was unethical), then this shock wouldn't have happened in the first place.
There is no reason that physically prevents them from putting it in giant, bold-faced font at the top: YOUR DATA WILL BE COLLECTED AND MAY BE USED AGAINST YOU. I've seen some ToSs with formatting in them, so it's totally possible. They should all be required to do this by law. Same with Niantic collecting all the camera pics from Pokémon Go players to eventually train their own AI, and not even returning any cut of the profits. Was it with the millions of players' "consent?" Sure, in legalese, but come on... Your wording suggests that the company is completely in the right, which, pardon my language, comes off as abhorrent when these people are just trying to find help, stress relief, etc. and don't have time to read through dozens of pages when the companies deceptively paint everything else as attractively as possible.
Don't forget the dystopian American legals system that allows all of that in the first place.
When the system’s built to be used most successfully by those who have the most money for it….