Google will be your enemy, and one who knows you a little too well

It's hard for people who have not experienced the future to appreciate it.

We're all waiting to see what happens in 15 years when we will want to kick ourselves for using Google/Facebook/etc so much that a _____ profile was built and sold on us.

Google doesn't sell your data and they never have. They make products based on the data they collect from many users. So this warning by the author of this article that Google may sell your data to ISIS by mistake makes no sense.

How would one even go back and delete as much of their information as possible from services like Google, Facebook, etc?

It's a scary future to imagine, and I think a big reason many people are apathetic about it is due to the complexity in deleting their data and fixing the problem. It's just easier to continue on...

The thing that is frequently missed in these discussions is a nuanced view of the companies leveraging the data.

Google and Apple don't have bulk information online boutiques where a random individual can go and purchase information. Quite the contrary; the information gleaned by them is leveraged as competitive market advantage. The idea that Apple or Google would be willing to sell your purchasing preferences or tendencies to another competitor is quite absurd given their markets.

Facebook and the rest of the social players however, appear to be an unknown entity here. There doesn't appear to be a clear, delineating set of rules for Facebook to be monetizing the output other than selling the data directly? Hardware / software tandems? Tactical advertising that works?

I am rather surprised at the lack of nuance in these hot takes.