Mr. Roger McNamee:

There is a grave misunderstanding of the data sets involved. My estimate, which is by no means precise, is that less than 1% of the data that Google and Facebook have are the data contributed voluntarily by consumers. The vast majority are acquired in the third party marketplace, either by tracking people online or by acquiring bank statements, credit cards, location from mobile vendors or purchase history from various companies and products. The core issue is that the surveillance takes place largely outside the awareness of people and without their direct participation. In the case of credit card processing companies, for example, which sell their customers' information, no consumer has a direct relationship with any of the companies or has any control over them.

One of the challenges is making people aware that the data being given up are not used to improve their experience, except to a small degree. Most of the data are used in a way that has social impact. In Myanmar, one would not have needed to be on Facebook to be dead but just to be a Rohingya, while in Christchurch, one did not need to be on Facebook or YouTube to be dead but just to be in the mosque. That is the problem we face. It is no longer an interpersonal, one-to-one relationship. Data are being used against whole populations, which is why the committee is so important. They are being used against populations globally.