In Brazil, whenever visiting a pharmacy or drugstore, you will be quickly preyed upon by a shop attendant and taken to one side. First, they will hand you a small basket for your purchases, and then request your taxpayer ID, with the promise of a store discount for those who are “signed up” to that particular pharmacy chain. Registering your tax ID at these establishments does not cost money and comes with some small discounts—3 for 2 on suncream, anyone?—but consumers should be asking themselves: where does their data go?
As of August 2020, the data of all Brazilians will...