Introduction: Privacy Self-Management and the Consent Dilemma - Introduction: Privacy Self-Management and the Consent Dilemma

"Privacy self-management takes refuge in consent. It attempts to be neutral about substance – whether certain forms of collecting, using, or disclosing personal data are good or bad – and instead focuses on whether people consent to various privacy practices. Consent legitimizes nearly any form of collection, use, or disclosure of personal data. Although privacy self-management is certainly a laudable and necessary component of any regulatory regime, I contend that it is being tasked with doing work beyond its capabilities. Privacy self-management does not provide people with meaningful control over their data. First, empirical and social science research demonstrates that there are severe cognitive problems that undermine privacy self-management. These cognitive problems impair individuals’ ability to make informed, rational choices about the costs and benefits of consenting to the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal data...."