I admit it. I’m guilty of skimming the Microsoft Windows 10’s 45-page terms and conditions. And I had a feeling I’d be damned for doing it, but the word “free” just kept popping out at me when you offered an advanced download of the new software.

In the world of personal devices and automation, I couldn’t resist something for “free.”

I saw how the average-sized print that went on for days informed me that it would access my location, contacts, and calendar. That’s OK, I’m accustomed to seeing that every time I download an app. How am I supposed to make a dinner reservation nearby if my Open Table app doesn’t know where I am?

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And, I get it, I use Google AdWords. You give me an advertising identity so that marketers can target me based on places I’ve visited or articles I’ve shared. I’m no dummy, I understand how it works.

I was even leaning toward Chris Christie’s side Thursday night when he argued with Rand Paul about monitoring information without a court order. I too think it’s easy to act concerned when you’re sitting in a subcommittee blowing hot air. Hell, I’ve sat anonymously behind some lawmakers while they were in their subcommittees huffing and puffing.

But I clearly wasn’t paying attention when it got to the part about trusting you not to share my most personal communications with anyone you say you want to share it with.

“We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications, or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to protect our customers or enforce the terms governing the use of the services.”

Good faith? What the hell is that? What a fool I am to trust you again, Microsoft.

I have it on good faith that I have visited sites and written emails that I don’t want you to know about, much less hand over to whomever you please. I’ve been really careful not to use words that unleash government’s fury of sensors. And now what? You’re going to share my communications because you think you are going to protect me? Or because you just want to do what you will with my conversations?

Who’s going to protect me from you, lord corporate data collector? Must I go incognito from now on?

I suppose I could just relax in the womb of ignorance, unknowing whether you have sold my data to the highest bidder, or are hanging onto it until you need to implicate me to get government off your own back. Of course, we know what the government thinks about wombs. Nowhere is safe.





