Foto freepik.com.
People take pictures of their daily walks, record city noise or share dialog with loved ones – all of which are used to train neural networks. In a short time, you can earn tens or hundreds of dollars, which for some people covers basic expenses, writes The Guardian. However, the simplicity of earning money hides serious risks.
The main problem is the terms of the agreements. In many cases, users give companies virtually unlimited rights to use their data. This means that one record can be used for years without additional payment. Moreover, a person loses control over where and how their voice or image will be used.
The lack of transparency amplifies the threats. Data can end up in facial recognition systems, advertising projects or used to create dipfakes. Even with promises of anonymity, biometric information is difficult to completely anonymize. In case of leaks, users often do not even receive notifications.
Experts warn that such work is unstable and does not offer long-term prospects. While the demand for data is high, people get income, but in the future it may disappear, leaving them unprotected. In this case, the main benefits go to technology companies.
Despite this, many people continue to participate in such platforms, seeing it as a smart way to monetize their data. But more and more people are beginning to question whether the short-term gains are worth the potential risks to privacy and security in the future.
