“We Use the Same Tools as Everyone” Is Exactly the Problem
Following the crowd in software choices is not safety; it is collective risk. High-end firms should not be using mass-market, surveillance-funded tools.
Marie Query
The Data Ethicist Paris → Lyon
Consultant for GDPR and digital ethics. She knows that just because you *can* collect a data point doesn't mean you *should*. Writes here to protect the human element in data collection projects.
Note: “Marie Query” is a pseudonym. We use pseudonyms so we can write honestly about real work without naming clients, employers, or teams.
“Anonymous Data” That Still Knows Your Client: The Classic Lie
We strip the names and call it 'anonymous.' But data has a way of finding its owner. We expose the myth of anonymization and the reality of re-identification.
If the Client Isn’t Aware We’re Tracking It, We Shouldn’t Be Tracking It
Invisible analytics are the digital equivalent of a two-way mirror. We explore why 'just metadata' is a lazy excuse for surveillance.
More Data Is Not Insight; It Is Liability
We confuse volume with value. But in a high-end firm, a bloated database is not an asset; it is a target. Learn the art of the 'Minimum Useful Dataset'.
The Case of the “Quick” Google Form That Broke Client Trust
Sending a high-net-worth client a Google Form is like serving champagne in a plastic cup. It is cheap, it is leaky, and it tells them you don't value their privacy.
If Your Intake Tool Runs on Ads, Your Firm Runs on Bad Taste
Using ad-funded software for client intake is like serving instant coffee at a gala. It cheapens your brand and leaks your client's data to the highest bidder.
Privacy Is Not a Cookie Banner (And We Know It)
Cookie banners are the plastic wrap of the internet—annoying and mostly useless. Real privacy is not about asking for permission to spy; it's about not spying.
No, We Don’t Need Session Replays in a Law Office
Watching your clients navigate your website like rats in a maze is not 'optimization.' It is intrusion. We explore why Session Replay tools have no place in a professional firm.
Privacy Is a Luxury, and Our Clients Can Tell When We’re Cheap
High-end clients notice details. When your tools are 'Free,' they notice the ads, the tracking, and the lack of polish. Privacy is the ultimate luxury good.
Stop Asking for Date of Birth: It’s Not Cute, It’s Dangerous
Asking for a birthday seems harmless until you realize you are holding the master key to someone's identity. Stop the automated greetings; start the risk management.
The 12-Minute Consent Workflow We Can Actually Run
Consent is not a footer full of legalese. It is a handshake. Here is how to build a workflow that respects the human and protects the firm.
“We Might Need It Later” Is Not a Strategy, C'est Ridicule
Data hoarding is not 'being data-driven'; it is a liability. We explore why restraint is the ultimate sign of professional sophistication.