TOO MUCH INFORMATIONUnderstanding What You Don’t Want to KnowBy Cass SunsteinThe announced thesis of Cass Sunstein’s “Too Much Information” is simple: People should be given information only when it would significantly improve their lives. Sunstein administered the Federal Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for most of President Obama’s first term. Then he was on the side of full disclosure, including forcing restaurants and movie theaters to let customers know exactly how many calories were in their food. Sunstein launches his argument using data from a small survey he conducted. There was also great variation in reported willingness to pay for that information, with median bids ranging from $1 for credit card late-fee disclosure to $200 to know if heaven exists.

Source: New York Times September 10, 2020 16:30 UTC