Privacy and AI Governance in 2026: Why “Consent” won’t save you from Surveillance
The privacy story people were taught to believe went like this: companies collect data, you click “I agree,” regulators require disclosures, and everyone behaves. In 2026, that story collapses under its own weight.
Not because consent is “bad” in principle, but because modern AI systems turn data into something far more powerful than a single, understandable transaction. AI doesn’t just use what you gave it; it can infer what you didn’t. And when regulators and organizations talk about “AI governance” in 2026, it’s a sign they know consent alone can’t carry the load.
This is the core problem: if surveillance is the default business model, consent becomes a checkbox and not a shield.
