This is short and sweet, but one thing I implore you to do before signing up for another anything is to seek out and read the privacy policy.

It’s not often easy to find, and that’s purposeful.  But locating this policy and at least attempting to understand it needs to be the first step you take from here forward.

Make this second nature.  Make this a reflex.  Especially if what you’re signing up for is free.  If it’s a Chrome extension, or an app, or a service tied to an IoT device, or a new website that promises to augment an existing social experience, or leverage it.  Before you jump in, look for the privacy policy.

It’s not all bad – not everything is terrible – but do your homework first.  Understand how your data will sprawl.  Where it will go; who will have a new entitlement to it.  Before you get involved, have a comfort level.

If you don’t care, that’s fine – the vendor definitely doesn’t care, because selling your personal information is a beautiful shadow operation. It’s where the money is made.  As long as everyone understands that – including the end user – the playing field is level.