On a recent SBS Insight episode, Anna Borzi, a guest on the segment, speaks candidly about her thoughts towards privacy and her unwillingness to give away her personal details.

Anna’s experience serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting personal information and the challenges many people face in today’s world.

Anna, a banking veteran who is conscious of giving out his personal details, is astounded at the pace of data collection. She experienced this first-hand when she was unable to join a gym in a city she wouldn’t name without giving out his personal information, despite being willing to pay.

“It’s my information, first of all,” Anna said. “Secondly, I come from a banking environment for many decades, and I’ve followed this particular area. But in the most part, it’s just privacy. If I go into Woolworths, I shouldn’t have to pull out my little redemption card or whatever it is to get a discount every single day.”

Anna also faced difficulty with services that require details, such as booking a flight or streaming services. “I don’t watch any of that,” she said. “I guess the worst of it came to me was with COVID. You could not get in without  a QR code so you don’t have QR codes. So you can’t go out, you can’t go shopping, you can’t go to a restaurant, can’t get a coffee. It’s a completely debilitating thing to be prepared to not hand over your identity every single day.”

Anna’s experience with data collection has made her aware of the importance of maintaining her privacy and data security. Despite being willing to pay, she has been unable to join a gym without giving up her personal information. She has also experienced difficulty with services that require details, such as booking a flight or streaming services. Anna’s experience has highlighted the way data collection has become commonplace and the importance of maintaining data security and privacy.