Ryan Bridge: We need better protection of our privacy

Here's a question for your Monday morning.  If somebody came up to you on the street and asked for DOB, next of kin, phone number, personal address, your interests, sports and hobbies.... what would you say?  Bugger off. Why do you want all that? What will you do with it? Do you need it?  and yet, when some random business asks you this stuff while you're buying shampoo or a computer mouse on the internet, we happily give it away, hand it over, pay for our loot (using a credit card number and password, then promptly think nothing more of it.  The reason we do this is because we're asked to do it. And we often don't have much choice.  If you don't answer those pesky questions with the asterisk on them.... you can't get the thing that yo want. Even if you've paid.  Privacy Commissioner has a new survey out. Survey says F-off, basically.  Two-thirds say protecting their personal information now a major concern in their lives (yes, major. Presumably up there with death and a mortgage) 80% say they want more control over it. Honestly, why does my hairdresser need to know my date of birth when I'm booking an appointment?  Does it tell them how thin my hair might be at a certain age?  Do they need my address to ship my cut hair back to me after its swept off the floor?  Do they need my surname because it may denote frailty in my follicles passed down through generations?  No. It's because they can ask for it. So, they do.  They make money off, presumably.  Honestly, my online supermarket and electricity provider know more intimate details about me than some of the ex's.  We regularly reveal more personal details to Countdown than we would a first date! Companies here can basically ask you anything. You often have to answer. They must take reasonable steps to keep keeping it secret.  Then along comes the hackers. Then it's all out the window.  The EU has strict rules... Business must give you option to reject cookies. Informed consent. Only ask for stuff related to what you're buying or doing. AND you have the right to change or delete the info companies hold open you.  You could avoid the internet altogether but that train's sort of left the station. So, can I suggest a question for businesses? Could you please stop asking us so many damned irrelevant and annoying questions? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.