Chapter 5: Information Privacy

Written by Asha Buchanan

Joan is Awful follows the story of Joan, your average working-class woman who discovers her privacy has been violated when she sees her life played out on a TV show on the streaming platform Streamberry.

Her life takes a turn for the worse as the show gains popularity amongst her friends, family, and co-workers, and private moments are put on blast without her consent. In an attempt to regain her privacy, the main character Joan, hires a legal team to take action against Streamberry. This is where she realizes that she had agreed to allow the company to use her private information and life events when she signed the terms and conditions when registering for the service [2].

This extreme case of data mining creates this episode's main plot as Joan seeks normalcy once again.

There are regulations in place to protect individuals from the exploitation of data, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires companies to disclose what information they are collecting from consumers and for what purpose. Though Joan made the mistake of not reading through the terms and conditions, it is also important to note that Streamberry did not make their intentions clear or boldly display them. This shines a light on the need for companies to be transparent and straightforward with their customers about their data usage policies. Joan however was not the only person to fall victim to this as the story introduces Salma Hayek’s character who also agreed to her likeness being used for whatever the company pleased. Streamberry made the choice here to prioritize their own interests, creating a “good” show, over the interests, comfort, and privacy of their consumers.

In true Black Mirror fashion, this episode creates an extreme dystopian scenario that can be tied to everyday and real-life scenarios.

The episode aims to underscore the consequences of the exploitation of private information and encourages viewers to be more aware of how their data and information are being collected and used.