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Comment by CitrusFruits | Hacker News Reader

This is getting close to one of my biggest fears that go along with data collection driven revenue streams: the wealthy being able to pay for privacy and the rest having pay with their data, opening up opportunities for them to be manipulated.

If a rendition of this comes to fruition, I think it’s a very real possibility it could only widen the class gap. I know it’s not a foregone conclusion, but I really think it’s a possibility.

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That implies that a company like Facebook would somehow value your privacy when you are some kind of premium user or paying customer.

This is something I really doubt.

> This is getting close to one of my biggest fears that go along with data collection driven revenue streams: the wealthy being able to pay for privacy and the rest having pay with their data, opening up opportunities for them to be manipulated.

Social media are nowhere near an essential service. We are not talking about power or water. If one finds himself unable to pay a (what I suppose) small fee for a vanity product, it's the case he or she should not use it at all.

If one finds themself unable to pay a fee for heroin, it's the case they should not use it at all. If you can't afford heroin after months or even years of usage, simply stop purchasing it. It's nowhere near an essential service.

It doesn’t need to be essential for people to keep using it. They just have to want it and not realize the true cost of “free”.

If a company is monetizing your data then they aren't stopping with the free users.

Then it will be socially acceptable not to have a "Facebook Pro Deluxe $100/mo + tip" account, or any facebook account. I can only hope popular services go pay-only.

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