The personal information of many individuals is held by large internet companies and organisations. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

There are growing concerns today about the storage of private data by major internet

companies

like Facebook and Google. In my opinion, the disadvantages of

this

trend outweigh its conveniences. These

companies

themselves would argue their intentions are primarily to provide better services.

This

relates

first

of all to advertising. Facebook,

for example

, tracks user behaviour and

then

allows advertisers to target audience segments in order to show them relevant advertising. An individual might

therefore

see ads related to the kinds of restaurants and music they enjoy most.

Secondly

, the

information

is used to create helpful services for consumers. Google maps is a good example of an entirely free platform used by millions that

follows

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individuals

, sells

information

to businesses, and makes life more convenient without any obvious drawbacks or pernicious intent.

However

, the misuse of big data has begun already and will only become worse in the future. The advertisements targeted at

individuals

are not always harmless. During the

last

presidential election in the United States, foreign governments sought out vulnerable groups and fed them false

information

to influence voting behaviour. Unethical

companies

use the advanced targeting tools in the same way, often locating vulnerable

individuals

and encouraging their worst impulses by indulging coping mechanisms ranging from fast food to barely legal pharmaceuticals.

This

is only the beginning as

this

information

becomes more comprehensive there are legitimate concerns that authoritarian regimes working in tandem with

companies

will be able to create all-knowing police states and human rights abuses will become the norm. In conclusion, the marginal benefits of access to personal

information

by private

companies

do not outweigh both current and future negatives. It is

therefore

important that governments regulate

companies

and

individuals

attempt to take back a degree of control.