There were interesting questions raised in response to my letter about Google’s use of data. (Stage of consent, Not looking good in profile, Letters blog, letters.computing.co.uk). The real threat is not that user data be collected and used for profiling and providing a better service, or even that this data is used to better monetize the service. After all, Visa and American Express have been doing that for years and people are ready to trade some of their privacy in exchange for this service. The real problem is when a single company gathers this kind of information about you on a series of seemingly harmless and independent services such as search engine, email, chat, calendar and payments, all with a single username and password. That this data is stored in a single place and is so easy to match is a real concern. The bottom line is: do not rely on a single provider for your entire digital life.

François Bourdoncle