Privacy Conversation Primer

I’ve learned that when in the company of those who may still be unaware, or on the fence, about what’s actually happening in the world, the best conversations don’t start with doom and gloom.

They start with questions that lead to self recognition.

They start with that moment when someone realizes something they’ve been experiencing all along actually has a name, is a shared experience by others, and is something they can speak openly and honestly about.

Your family and friends are likely already seeing the symptoms all around them and know something isn’t right. Of course some people still live in “lala land”, blind to the reality right in front of their faces, but many simply just haven’t connected the dots yet to understand WHY these things are happening.

I guarantee near EVERYONE with an iPhone or Google Android device these days has noticed their search history popping up in ads or something in their Instagram/Facebook/TikTok feeds that they only mentioned out loud.

As such, a simple ice breaker like, “Hey, have you noticed that ads are popping up everywhere for things you’ve talked about only moments before?” will result in endless stories from people telling you about how just the other day they talked about some random product and then saw as ad for it on their social media of choice.

This response is ideal.

A simple part of human nature is we like to share our relatable stories. The “Me too! Me too!” responses are a good thing.

Let the people around you share their stories while YOU practice the art of listening.

In fact, ask them more questions about other times this may have happened to them. Get people talking about the reality of this happening.

The more one acknowledges out loud the reality of the surveillance occurring, the less likely he or she will be able to defend it when you eventually hit them with a few targeted observations, questions and calls to action.

A response like, “That’s wild! It’s pretty creepy that these devices have the ability to listen to everything that’s happening around you and know everything you’re doing. Hey, what would you do if I followed you around and recorded and tracked everything you were doing? If I followed you into your home and then sold all of the information I was collecting on you? You’d likely be pretty angry with me, to say the least, no?”

Let that comment sink in with those around you.

Anyone with even a few brain cells will clearly see the connection being made and likely give you the punch line so you don’t have to: “yeah, it makes no sense that we allow Google/Apple/Microsoft this kind of access to our personal lives when we would be up in arms if it was literally anyone else doing the same thing…”

For some crowds, you may simply want to let that seed sit and grow.

Others, who may want to keep pressing on the topic, may be receptive to hearing about how tools exist that can help you prevent Big Tech from monitoring everything you do.

Given it’s the holidays, I actually think it’s the perfect time for this conversation. People are home. They’re thinking about family. They’re wondering why their kids are growing up in a world where privacy is a luxury and they’re starting to ask questions… they just need someone to help them ask the right ones.

Whether it’s understanding how your phone became a tracking device, why your smart TV knows what you’re watching, when your car became more than just a car, or how to have an actual private conversation in 2025 (and soon 2026), the business I started 3 years ago, MARK37.COM, is here to help you have the conversations that matter and make sense of this clown world we’re living in these days.

If you have a particularly tricky conversation you’re needing to have but wanting to talk to someone who can coach you through it, don’t hesitate to give us a shout. We would be THRILLED to help you.

You can sign up for a FREE 30 minute consultation to this extent HERE.

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