Tag: Record Decode

Do Europeans care more about their data than Americans?

22. September 2016

Recode just published an interview with Margrethe Vestager, Europeans Commissioner for Competition, talking about her impression that Europeans care more about their data than Americans.

First, she elaborates that Europe has historically been more critical towards new technology practices such as data collection. In this context, Vestager said “I am an economist, so I know that there is no such thing as a free lunch” she went on “You pay with one currency or another — either cents, or you pay with your data, or you pay with the advertisements that you accept. And I think people are becoming more and more aware of the fact that their personal data do have a value.”

Vestager underlined her point of view that Europeans care more about their data than Americans by saying “What we see in Europe is that a huge proportion of citizens find that they are not in control” she added “They distrust the companies to protect their data, and I think that is very bad, because then there is a risk of withdrawing from all the benefits of our digital economy. And in order to build up trust I think it is very important that we enforce privacy rules, that we get privacy by design in new services, so that privacy is not just an add-on, that it is very basic.”

Therefore, according to Vestager the Europeans have a greater need to protect their data than Americans.