Everything is connected, but should it be?

This article argues that data collection and user account creation have become tools of surveillance that disproportionately harm marginalized communities, despite being presented as neutral conveniences.

The Privacy Problem

Storing user data at all functions as a dark pattern. What appears as simple account creation mechanisms actually feeds into surveillance systems that differ dramatically in impact based on social position. “One person’s convenience can easily result in another person’s imprisonment, deportation, or death.”

Disparate Impact Examples

Data collection systems harm vulnerable populations differently:

• In Manchester, Black residents face disproportionate police stops that increase when justified by algorithmic systems analyzing collected data
• Joint enterprise legislation prosecutions relied on smartphone footage and location data
• Proposed biometric transit systems (like vein identification) create deportation risks for immigrants

The Design Problem

Technology developers typically represent “WEIRD” demographics and fail to consider consequences affecting others. Design decisions made without input from affected communities—from smartphone sizes to health apps—embed bias into systems from inception.

Alternative Approaches

Services like Wikipedia and Street Support function without mandatory logins, demonstrating that anonymity needn’t mean reduced utility. Effective community services can gather essential context through minimal data collection rather than exploitative tracking.

Systemic Issues

The “Pirate Funnel” marketing methodology (Awareness, Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, Revenue) incentivizes account creation regardless of user benefit. Funders and institutions prioritize metrics they can quantify over genuine community outcomes, perpetuating extractive data practices even in services designed to help vulnerable populations.