Need Cash? Pimp Your Virtual Self
It was just one week ago at pii2010 that Jeff Jarvis scoffed openly at our culture’s obsession with privacy.
Very soon, he predicted, it will be considered selfish for people not to share a bit of themselves online. Sharing, after all, is at the very heart of almost every innovation these days. We steer complete strangers to our favorite restaurants. We help pharmaceutical companies create more effective drugs. The value of personal information is undeniable.
But just days after Jarvis’ prediction, we find a new and interesting twist. Now you can give up your personal data for the most unabashedly selfish of reasons: profit.
A New York start-up called Statz has just announced the debut of its online service, enabling users to sell their personal data to businesses–everything from cell phone records to eBay transactions to OnStar data.
It’s a fascinating concept. Maybe even a sound one. But there is still one kind of personal information that is not to be shared. Once you agree to participate in the Statz Marketplace, you are forbidden under the terms and conditions from writing online about your experience with the company.
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