It's Elise Hugh with TED Talks Daily.

The most profitable companies in the world right now control our data.

Data is considered the most valuable asset these days, and in a connected world, we're only generating more of it.

In her TED Women Talk from 2019, the entrepreneur and technologist Jennifer

Jew Scott calls for a more level playing field when it comes to data. She uses her own life story,

which began in poverty in West China, to help us understand why we should take personal

ownership of our data.

I grew up in the late 70s in rural China.

During the final years of my country's pursuit of absolute equality

and expense of liberty, at that time, everybody had a job, but everyone was struggling.

In the early 80s, my dad was the electrician,

and my mom worked two shifts in the local hospital. But still, we didn't have enough food,

and our living conditions were dismal. We were undoubtedly equal. We were equally poor.

The state owned everything, we own nothing. The story I'm

going to share with you is about my struggles of overcoming adversity with my resilience, grit,

and sheer determination. No, I'm just kidding. I'm not going to do that to you.

Instead, I'm going to tell you, talk about today, is about a new form of collective poverty

that many of us don't recognize and urgently need to be understood. I'm sure you've noticed that in the past 20 years, that asset has emerged.

It's been generating wealth and a break net pace.

As a tool, it has brought businesses, deep customer insights,

operational efficiency, and enormous top-line growth.

But for some, it has also provided device

...