I was born on 26th July 1958. That is a fact. That fact is recorded in thousands of places. Does this recording transfer the ownership of this fact to the recorder? What happens if I want to have that fact removed from the places that it has been recorded? The answer is not a straight forward one and “it depends” is the closest to a single response.
If the exchange of a fact is required for me to have a legal relationship with the recorder then I am going to have to abide by the laws that govern it and will only be able to change it only to the extent that those laws permit me to.
If the fact was gathered through a means that I did not sanction then I believe I have the continued right of ownership and should always be able to control the use of that fact.
It seems to me that there is a developing notion that “Big Data” is operating under the “finders, keepers” principle. If it was out there and can be discovered then it is fair game and that somehow privacy laws and regulations don’t apply.
We must not go down this path. We will never be able to back out.
My facts are my facts. They always will be. If you want to use them, you must have my consent and my continued consent beyond the initial agreement.
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