"If you could see the full trove, you might never use your phone the same way again."

Let's be real.... this isn't the case at all. No matter how many times Big Tech gets exposed for intruding on our privacy or leaking our personal data- we'll still bend over and let them rape us with modern technology.

The harsh reality is that they can get away with unregulated mass surveillance because the average consumer couldn't care less about privacy/security. Big Tech has been slowly sliding their hand up our metaphorical skirts... and we've just sat there and smiled.

We've reached a point with technology where there is no real way to ensure complete anonymity/security with modern consumer-grade devices. Your choices are:
1) Choose the convenience, mobility, and social connectivity that comes with modern technology- but lose all of your privacy and a great deal of your security.
2) Get completely off the grid and get complete privacy/security- but lose the convenience, mobility, and social connectivity.

If the concept of a government entity installing mandatory backdoors on your mobile devices makes you nervous right now... Then you'll be shitting your pants in another 10-15 years.

As technology advances, so will the mass surveillance (and even censorship) capabilities of countries like Russia/China/North Korea. Between the looming encryption crisis (AKA super computers), the rapid progression of facial recognition, evolving big data techniques, and increasingly decentralized WANs (ie- "Great China Firewall")- the outlook is grim indeed!

This application was being tested in 2015/2016.... right around the same time that China started incorporating facial recognition into their mass surveillance program.

Not saying that Facebook was involved with this, but at the very least it shows how fast this technology was adopted.

"The change provides a degree of control that could be used to keep spammers away, or to hide hateful or inappropriate replies" [or to censor all opposing opinions.]

While this would be the ideal solution... it's just not realistic. We've reached a point in society where big tech is a necessary evil (to a certain degree).
I try to avoid mainstream social media- but as an IT consultant, LinkedIn is a platform that vital to my professional networking.
I try to avoid using my real name online- but websites are requiring identity verification increasingly often.
I try to use various browser plug-ins to block their scripts, cookies, and fingerprinting- but that breaks so many modern websites that I usually just end up pasting the URLs into a non-secure browser.

A more realistic solution is for us to demand that the government stops bending over for these big tech companies and start laying down some serious regulation. Like you said, big tech is not the government... but in a capitalistic country like the US, the fact that they are private companies ironically gives them even more power than the government itself!

Is anyone else seriously concerned about the way big tech is evolving? It's like they are intent on permeating every last aspect of our lives. They've already gotten control over our social lives and shopping habits. Now we're slowly letting them move into our personal finance and even our healthcare systems.... Not to mention Google is literally developing a Smart City in Toronto!

I'm trying my best not to sound like a paranoid conspiracy theorist... But the reality of a Mr.Robot-esque "E Corp" conglomerate is getting closer and closer.

The value from the consumer's perspective is going to be the integration & convenience. I'm sure that they'll integrate account control features into Google Assistant ("Google, what's my account balance?"), create default Android widgets, and have all types of 3rd-party integrations for sending/receiving money.

This is going to appeal to the same type of idiot that rushed out to buy the new Apple credit card. The day I give Google control over my money is the day Donald Trump starts welcoming in Mexican immigrants.

The harsh reality of capitalism is that money is the end goal... not the "good of society". It fuels greed-driven mindsets.

BUILD A WALL!!!

In this case, a [fire]wall.

...is "add to cart to see price!"

Exactly! They minds are so clouded from capitalistic greed that they can't even evaluate a simple issue like password sharing with rational thinking.

Imagine if car manufacturers claimed that friends/family borrowing cars is costing them "billions" and implemented fingerprint authentication to start cars!

...for many couples tonight!

C'mon Slashdot.... everyone in IT knows that a reboot fixes 99.99% of all computer issues.

"Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Chrysler, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall"

"Twitter Is Banning Political Ads"... That It Doesn't Agree With