Fear of Big Tech: Regaining Users' Trust

Source: ADUC – “Big Tech: We must demonstrate to citizens that their data is safe,” November 27, 2025.

The imperative of trust in the data economy

The ADUC article highlights a point that Big Tech continues to invoke like a mantra: the need to regain user trust . This is not a neutral statement. Trust, in the digital context, is a political as well as an economic resource: without it, the business model based on the collection, analysis, and monetization of personal data is undermined. The platforms claim to "prove" data security, but this promise highlights the fragility of the current information ecosystem, where security is not a guaranteed value, but rather a goal still far from being achieved.

The original asymmetry: exposed users, omniscient platforms

The structural crux is the radical information asymmetry between users and platforms. While citizens cannot truly verify how their data is being processed, digital companies possess an unprecedented wealth of information, capable of influencing preferences, behaviors, economic and political choices. In this context, talking about "proving security" implicitly admits that today such security is neither perceived nor guaranteed: opaqueness, opaque processes, unauditable algorithms, and an infrastructure that incentivizes unlimited data collection rather than data protection persist.

Privacy by design or commercial slogan?

The lexicon of digital security is often used as a communication tool: privacy by design , data empowerment , user control . Yet, as the article notes, too many platforms remain anchored to models in which protection is an accessory, not the foundation of the service. The promise of data protection clashes with a business model that thrives on continuous profiling , data permanence, and commercial interoperability between services. The question is not whether companies "want to reassure" users: the question is whether they are willing to give up some of their power to truly guarantee those rights.

Recurring scandals and impossible trust

In recent years, from Cambridge Analytica to serial data breaches, the industry has demonstrated a structural inability to prevent abuse. And every scandal is a blow to public trust, which cannot be rebuilt with press releases or reputational campaigns alone. Data security is not a marketing ploy, but a practice that requires:

• radical transparency on processes;

• limitation of data collection;

• independent algorithmic audits;

• clear legal responsibility;

• Public, non-self-referential governance. Until these elements become structural, trust will remain an abstract concept, far removed from users' daily experiences.

Big Tech's liability cannot be voluntary

The statements reported by ADUC underscore Big Tech's desire to "prove" reliability. But reliability, in the digital world, cannot depend on the goodwill of dominant players. A model of external accountability is needed: precise rules, stringent controls, effective sanctions, and—above all— a transparency regime that doesn't leave companies with the discretion to self-assess . Digital power is too great to be self-governed.

What it means for citizens and how Algopolio can intervene

The issue of data security isn't just about privacy: it's about identity, freedom, and the ability to live in a digital environment that doesn't exploit users' information vulnerabilities. Those who suffer abuse—from failed data deletion to unauthorized profiling, from the improper dissemination of information to opaque processing—often lack the tools to understand or respond.

This is where Algopolio can make a difference. The association:

• helps users and consumers understand how their data is processed;

• offers technical and legal support in cases of infringement, abuse of dominant position, or failure to protect rights;

• promotes a digital model based on responsibility, transparency, and respect for individuals;

• intervenes when platforms or services do not guarantee the rights guaranteed by the GDPR and European regulations.

If readers perceive that their data has been mishandled, or suspect a violation of their digital rights, Algopolio is the place to find a listening ear, guidance, and concrete protection .

Because trust isn't something you ask for: it's built. And it's defended.