First, computer cookies as data collectors and now AI, bots and myriad automation – they are all bringing a level of ease and convenience to our lives as consumers; offering targeted ads, using our locations and preferences for relevance, saving us our valuable time. But they also offer unease and concern . . . followers or stalkers, assistants or snoopers? Just how far can technology – and brands and even governments – go when it comes to gathering and using data? It’s all about ethics, says Steven van Belleghem, delving into the great privacy & technology debate.