Why you should get paid for your data
-
0:01 - 0:05I grew up in the late '70s in rural China
-
0:05 - 0:10during the final years of my country's
pursuit of absolute equality -
0:10 - 0:12at the expense of liberty.
-
0:13 - 0:15At that time, everybody had a job,
-
0:15 - 0:17but everyone was struggling.
-
0:17 - 0:20In the early '80s,
my dad was an electrician, -
0:20 - 0:23and my mom worked two shifts
in the local hospital. -
0:24 - 0:27But still, we didn't have enough food,
-
0:27 - 0:29and our living conditions were dismal.
-
0:29 - 0:31We were undoubtedly equal --
-
0:31 - 0:33we were equally poor.
-
0:33 - 0:35The state owned everything.
-
0:35 - 0:37We owned nothing.
-
0:37 - 0:41The story I'm going to share with you
is about my struggles -
0:41 - 0:43of overcoming adversity
-
0:43 - 0:48with my resilience, grit
and sheer determination. -
0:49 - 0:52No, I'm just kidding,
I'm not going to do that to you. -
0:52 - 0:54(Laughter)
-
0:54 - 0:58Instead, I'm going to tell you,
-
0:58 - 1:02what I'm going to talk about today
is about a new form of collective poverty -
1:02 - 1:04that many of us don't recognize
-
1:04 - 1:06and that urgently needs to be understood.
-
1:07 - 1:09I'm sure you've noticed
that in the past 20 years, -
1:09 - 1:11that asset has emerged.
-
1:11 - 1:15It's been generating wealth
at a breakneck pace. -
1:15 - 1:19As a tool, it has brought businesses
deep customer insights, -
1:19 - 1:20operational efficiency
-
1:20 - 1:23and enormous top-line growth.
-
1:23 - 1:25But for some,
-
1:25 - 1:29it has also provided a device
to manipulate a democratic election -
1:29 - 1:35or perform surveillance
for profit or political purposes. -
1:35 - 1:37What is this miracle asset?
-
1:37 - 1:39You've guessed it: it's data.
-
1:40 - 1:45Seven out of the top 10 most valuable
companies in the world are tech companies -
1:45 - 1:48that either directly generate
profit from data -
1:48 - 1:50or are empowered by data from the core.
-
1:51 - 1:53Multiple surveys show
-
1:53 - 1:55that the vast majority
of business decision makers -
1:55 - 1:59regard data as an essential
asset for success. -
1:59 - 2:04We have all experienced how data
is shifting this major paradigm shift -
2:05 - 2:08for our personal, economic
and political lives. -
2:09 - 2:11Whoever owns the data owns the future.
-
2:12 - 2:13But who's producing the data?
-
2:14 - 2:17I assume everyone in this room
has a smartphone, -
2:17 - 2:18several social media accounts
-
2:19 - 2:21and has done a Google search
or two in the past week. -
2:22 - 2:24We are all producing data. Yes.
-
2:25 - 2:28It is estimated that by 2030,
10 years from now, -
2:28 - 2:33there will be about 125 billion
connected devices in the world. -
2:33 - 2:37That's an average of about
15 devices per person. -
2:38 - 2:40We are already producing data every day.
-
2:40 - 2:43We'll be producing exponentially more.
-
2:44 - 2:48Google, Facebook and Tencent's
combined revenue in 2018 -
2:48 - 2:51was 236 billion US dollars.
-
2:51 - 2:53Now, how many of you
have received payment from them -
2:53 - 2:55for the data you generate for them?
-
2:55 - 2:57None, right?
-
2:57 - 3:01Data has immense value
but is centrally controlled and owned. -
3:01 - 3:05You are all walking raw materials
for those large data companies, -
3:05 - 3:07but none of you are paid.
-
3:08 - 3:09Not only that,
-
3:09 - 3:13you're not even considered
as part of this equation for income. -
3:14 - 3:15So once again,
-
3:15 - 3:17we are undoubtedly equal:
-
3:17 - 3:19we're equally poor.
-
3:19 - 3:22Somebody else owns everything,
and we own nothing. -
3:22 - 3:24Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
-
3:25 - 3:26So what should we do?
-
3:26 - 3:29There might be some clues
in how my life turned out -
3:29 - 3:30after that difficult start.
-
3:30 - 3:32Things began to look up
for my family in the '80s. -
3:32 - 3:34The system evolved,
-
3:34 - 3:38and people began to be allowed
to own a piece of what we created. -
3:38 - 3:40"People diving into the ocean,"
-
3:40 - 3:42or "xia hai," the Chinese term,
-
3:42 - 3:46described those who left
state-owned enterprise jobs -
3:46 - 3:47and started their own businesses.
-
3:48 - 3:50Private ownership of a business
-
3:50 - 3:53became personal ownership of cars,
-
3:53 - 3:56properties, food, clothes and things.
-
3:56 - 3:59The economic machine started rolling,
-
3:59 - 4:01and people's lives began to improve.
-
4:02 - 4:03For the first time,
-
4:03 - 4:05to get rich was glorious.
-
4:05 - 4:10So in the '90s, when I went
to study in Chengdu in west China, -
4:10 - 4:12many young individuals like myself
-
4:12 - 4:15were well-positioned
to take advantage of the new system. -
4:15 - 4:18After I graduated from my university,
-
4:18 - 4:21I cofounded my first business
and moved to Shenzhen, -
4:21 - 4:26the brand-new special economic zone
that used to be a fishing village. -
4:26 - 4:27Twenty years later,
-
4:27 - 4:31Shenzhen has become
a global innovation powerhouse. -
4:33 - 4:37Private ownership was a form of liberty
we didn't have before. -
4:37 - 4:42It created unprecedented opportunities
for our generations, -
4:42 - 4:46motivating us to work
and study incredibly hard. -
4:46 - 4:52The result was that more than
850 million people rose out of poverty. -
4:52 - 4:54According to the World Bank,
-
4:54 - 5:01China's extreme poverty rate in 1981,
when I was a little kid, was 88 percent. -
5:01 - 5:04By 2015, 0.7 percent.
-
5:05 - 5:07I am a product of that success,
-
5:07 - 5:11and I am very happy to share that today,
I have my own AI business, -
5:11 - 5:13and I lead a very worldly
and dynamic life, -
5:13 - 5:17a path that was unimaginable
when I was a kid in west China. -
5:18 - 5:22Of course, this prosperity
came with a trade-off, -
5:22 - 5:27with equality,
the environment and freedom. -
5:27 - 5:30And obviously I'm not here to argue
that China has it all figured out. -
5:30 - 5:31We haven't.
-
5:32 - 5:36Nor that data is fully comparable
to physical assets. -
5:36 - 5:37It is not.
-
5:38 - 5:43But my life experience allowed me
to see what's hiding in plain sight. -
5:43 - 5:44Currently, the public discourse
-
5:44 - 5:48is so focused on the regulatory
and privacy issue -
5:48 - 5:50when it comes to data ownership.
-
5:50 - 5:52But I want to ask:
-
5:52 - 5:55What if we look at data ownership
in completely different ways? -
5:56 - 5:58What if data ownership is, in fact,
-
5:58 - 6:03a personal, individual and economic issue?
-
6:03 - 6:06What if, in the new digital economy,
-
6:06 - 6:09we are allowed to own
a piece of what we create -
6:09 - 6:13and give people the liberty
of private data ownership? -
6:14 - 6:18The legal concept of ownership
is when you can possess, -
6:18 - 6:23use, gift, pass on, destroy
-
6:23 - 6:27or trade it or sell your asset
-
6:27 - 6:29at a price accepted by you.
-
6:29 - 6:34What if we give that same definition
to individuals' data, -
6:34 - 6:37so individuals can use or destroy our data
-
6:37 - 6:40or we trade it at our chosen price?
-
6:40 - 6:42Now, I know some of you might say,
-
6:42 - 6:45"I would never, ever trade my data
for any amount of money." -
6:45 - 6:48But that, let me remind you,
is exactly what you're doing now, -
6:48 - 6:51except you're giving
your data away for free. -
6:52 - 6:56Plus, privacy is a very personal
and nuanced issue. -
6:56 - 7:00You might have the privilege
to prioritize your privacy over money, -
7:00 - 7:03but for millions of small
business owners in China -
7:03 - 7:05who can't get bank loans easily,
-
7:05 - 7:10using their data to gain rapid loan
approval from AI-powered lenders -
7:10 - 7:12can answer their more pressing needs.
-
7:13 - 7:14What's private to you
-
7:14 - 7:17is different from
what's private to others. -
7:17 - 7:19What's private to you now
-
7:20 - 7:23is different from what was private
when you were in college. -
7:23 - 7:24Or, at least, I hope so.
-
7:24 - 7:26(Laughter)
-
7:26 - 7:31We are always,
although often subconsciously, -
7:31 - 7:32making such trade-offs
-
7:32 - 7:36based on our diverse personal beliefs
and life priorities. -
7:36 - 7:40That is why data ownership
would be incomplete -
7:40 - 7:42without a pricing power.
-
7:43 - 7:45By assigning pricing power to individuals,
-
7:45 - 7:50we gain a tool to reflect
our personal and nuanced preferences. -
7:50 - 7:53So, for example, you could choose
to donate your data for free -
7:53 - 7:57if a contribution
to a particular medical research -
7:57 - 7:59is very meaningful for you.
-
7:59 - 8:02Or, if we had the tools
to set our behavior data -
8:02 - 8:05at a price of, say,
100,000 US dollars, -
8:05 - 8:08I doubt any political group
would be able to target -
8:08 - 8:10or manipulate your vote.
-
8:10 - 8:12You control. You decide.
-
8:13 - 8:16Now, I know this sounds
probably implausible, -
8:16 - 8:18but trends are already pointing to
-
8:18 - 8:22a growing and very powerful
individual data ownership movement. -
8:22 - 8:25First, start-ups
are already creating tools -
8:25 - 8:27to allow us to take back some control.
-
8:27 - 8:30A new browser called Brave
-
8:30 - 8:34empowers users with "Brave Shields" --
they literally call it that -- -
8:34 - 8:39by aggressively blocking
data-grabbing ads and trackers, -
8:39 - 8:42and avoid leaking data
like other browsers. -
8:42 - 8:46In return, users can take back
some bargaining and pricing power. -
8:46 - 8:50When users opt in to accept ads,
-
8:50 - 8:53Brave rewards users
with "basic attention tokens" -
8:53 - 8:57that can redeem content
behind paywalls from publishers. -
8:59 - 9:01And I've been using Brave
for a few months. -
9:01 - 9:05It has already blocked
more than 200,000 ads and trackers -
9:05 - 9:07and saved hours of my time.
-
9:08 - 9:10Now, I know some of you
interact with your browser -
9:10 - 9:13more than with your partners, so --
-
9:13 - 9:14(Laughter)
-
9:14 - 9:18you should at least find one that doesn't
waste your time and is not creepy. -
9:18 - 9:20(Laughter)
-
9:22 - 9:25Do you think Google is indispensable?
-
9:25 - 9:27Think again.
-
9:27 - 9:30A search engine is indispensable.
-
9:30 - 9:31Google just has the monopoly --
-
9:31 - 9:33for now.
-
9:33 - 9:37A search engine called DuckDuckGo
doesn't store your personal information -
9:37 - 9:38or follow you around with ads
-
9:38 - 9:41or track your personal browsing history.
-
9:41 - 9:44Instead, it gives all users
the same search results -
9:44 - 9:48instead of based on
your personal browsing records. -
9:49 - 9:51In London, a company called digi.me
-
9:51 - 9:54offers an app you can download
on your smartphone -
9:54 - 9:59that helps to import and consolidate
your data generated by you -
9:59 - 10:01from your Fitbit, Spotify,
-
10:01 - 10:03social media accounts ...
-
10:03 - 10:06And you can choose
where to store your data, -
10:06 - 10:11and digi.me will help you
to make your data work for you -
10:11 - 10:14by providing insights that used
to be exclusively accessible -
10:14 - 10:16by large data companies.
-
10:17 - 10:21In DC, a new initiative
called UBDI, U-B-D-I, -
10:22 - 10:24Universal Basic Data Income,
-
10:24 - 10:26helps people to make money
-
10:26 - 10:30by sharing anonymous insights
through their data -
10:30 - 10:33for companies that can use them
for market research. -
10:34 - 10:36And whenever a company purchases a study,
-
10:36 - 10:40users get paid in cash and UBDI points
to track their contribution, -
10:40 - 10:44potentially as much
as 1,000 US dollars per year -
10:44 - 10:46per their estimation.
-
10:47 - 10:51UBDI could be a very feasible path
for universal basic income -
10:51 - 10:53in the AI economy.
-
10:54 - 10:59Further, individual awareness
of privacy and data ownership -
10:59 - 11:01is growing fast
-
11:01 - 11:06as we all become aware of this monster
we have unleashed in our pocket. -
11:07 - 11:09I'm a mother of two preteen girls,
-
11:09 - 11:11and trust me,
-
11:11 - 11:16the single biggest source of stress
and anxiety as a parent, -
11:16 - 11:20for me, is my children's
relationship with technology. -
11:21 - 11:25This is a three-page agreement
my husband and I make them sign -
11:25 - 11:27before they receive
their first [mobile phone]. -
11:27 - 11:29(Laughter)
-
11:30 - 11:32We want to help them to become
-
11:33 - 11:36digital citizens,
-
11:36 - 11:41but only if we can make them
become smart and responsible ones. -
11:42 - 11:46I help them to understand
what kind of data should never be shared. -
11:47 - 11:48So if you Google me,
-
11:49 - 11:52in fact -- actually, sorry --
if you DuckDuckGo me, -
11:52 - 11:55you will find maybe a lot
about me and my work, -
11:55 - 11:58but you may find no information
about my daughters. -
11:59 - 12:00When they grow up,
-
12:00 - 12:03if they want to put themselves out there,
it's their choice, not mine, -
12:03 - 12:06despite that I insist
they're the most beautiful, -
12:06 - 12:10smartest and most extraordinary
kids in the world, of course. -
12:11 - 12:14And I know many people
are having similar conversations -
12:14 - 12:16and making similar decisions,
-
12:16 - 12:17which gives me hope
-
12:17 - 12:20that a truly smart data-rich future
will be here soon. -
12:22 - 12:25But I want to highlight
the Clause 6 of this agreement. -
12:25 - 12:29It says, "I will never, ever search
for any information online -
12:29 - 12:32if I would be embarrassed
if seen by Grandma Dawnie." -
12:32 - 12:33(Laughter)
-
12:33 - 12:35Try it. It's really effective.
-
12:35 - 12:37(Laughter)
-
12:38 - 12:40Throughout history,
-
12:40 - 12:46there has always been a trade-off
between liberty and equality -
12:46 - 12:48in the pursuit of prosperity.
-
12:49 - 12:55The world has constantly been going
through the circle of wealth accumulation -
12:55 - 12:57to wealth redistribution.
-
12:58 - 13:01As the tension between
the haves and have-nots -
13:01 - 13:03is breaking so many countries,
-
13:03 - 13:05it is in everyone's interest,
-
13:05 - 13:08including the large data companies,
-
13:08 - 13:11to prevent this new form of inequality.
-
13:12 - 13:17Of course, individual data ownership
is not the perfect nor the complete answer -
13:17 - 13:20to this profoundly complex question
-
13:20 - 13:24of what makes a good digital society.
-
13:25 - 13:27But according to McKinsey,
-
13:28 - 13:34AI will add 13 trillion US dollars
of economic output in the next 10 years. -
13:35 - 13:38Data generated by individuals
will no doubt contribute -
13:38 - 13:41to this enormous growth.
-
13:42 - 13:45Shouldn't we at least consider
an economic model -
13:45 - 13:47that empowers the people?
-
13:47 - 13:52And if private ownership helped
to lift more than 850 million people -
13:52 - 13:54out of poverty,
-
13:54 - 13:56it is our duty
-
13:56 - 13:59and we owe it to future generations
-
13:59 - 14:02to create a more inclusive AI economy
-
14:02 - 14:07that will empower the people
in addition to businesses. -
14:07 - 14:08Thank you.
-
14:08 - 14:11(Applause)
- Title:
- Why you should get paid for your data
- Speaker:
- Jennifer Zhu Scott
- Description:
-
The world's most valuable tech companies profit from the personal data you generate. So why aren't you getting paid for it? In this eye-opening talk, entrepreneur and technologist Jennifer Zhu Scott makes the case for private data ownership -- which would empower you to donate, destroy or sell your data as you see fit -- and shows how this growing movement could put power (and cash) back into the hands of people.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 14:27
Aviva Nassimi edited English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data | ||
Aviva Nassimi edited English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data | ||
Erin Gregory edited English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data | ||
Oliver Friedman edited English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data | ||
Oliver Friedman edited English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data | ||
Oliver Friedman edited English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data | ||
Erin Gregory approved English subtitles for Why you should get paid for your data |