Product of the year: You

Ashis Dutta Roy

An incredible news story flew under the radar in late 2017. An Indian telecom giant was accused of opening accounts in its newly minted banking enterprise without the consent of its users, using information collected under the government-mandated Link-Your-Aadhaar-To-Everything scheme. It then allegedly diverted cooking gas subsidies from people’s regular bank accounts to their own banking project in a neat little adventure that at last count stood at Rs 190 crore.

This flagrant violation of users’ trust and misuse of their data showed how we have truly arrived at an age where they will not even bother reading you your rights before taking you for a ride.

As we head into a year promising smarter virtual assistants wired into your bedroom speaker or alarm clocks, listening to every word you say so that it can helpfully respond to “Alexa this” or “OK Google that”, a pause only seems necessary.

It is not just creepy speakers. From door locks connected to the internet (that will unlock to let Amazon deliver products), photo apps on your phone that recognise faces (thus generating a list of your “known accomplices”) to browsers noting every site you visit and all your keystrokes (so that it can “recommend” you links and news articles you may like) – it will be increasingly hard to find products and services that are not trying to sell you stuff by selling your data.

For years now, privacy advocates have shuddered at the amount of data Google and Facebook collect about you. And like these services, most of the above mentioned products could one day be so ubiquitous that it will be difficult to extricate yourself from their clutches. If for nothing else, 2018 will certainly be remembered as another successive year that will enlarge the “for sale” sign over your rights and privacy. Unless, you consciously think and voice your opinions about what you are getting yourself into — from what products you use to who you vote for, be prepared to be the gift that keeps on giving for large corporations.

Big talk, small wonder

The tech news scene is always bubbling with hype and things that have little consequence to the average Indian consumer. Here are things not to be excited about this year.

Virtual Reality: A work-in-progress project for years now, AR and VR are unlikely to become as common as buttoned shirts or sliced bread this year.

Next-Gen Wireless: Expect to hear breathless news reports about 5G this year. Relax, nothing’s happening till much later on that front that you blink about.

Fintech: Bitcoin, blockchain and fintech — people will peddle all kinds of jargon. Unless you want to “Get Rich Quick”, skip these fibs.

Edge Computing: They will tell you “Edge Computing” will be the new “Cloud Computing”. Unless you are a hot shot CTO, you can afford to yawn and move away while they talk.

Privacy Protection: Privacy will remain one of the biggest lies. Facebook, Google and other baddies will collect more data about you and sell it to advertisers. Deal with it.