In the current era of social networking and web browsing, it comes as little surprise that user data is collected through web searches to enable targeted advertising. This is evident when your seemingly harmless Google search on 'platform shoes' results in shoe specific ads on multiple other websites for weeks after the search. What may come as more of a surprise is that the worst offenders of data tracking and distribution are news websites. Vast amounts of data are collected from each article you visit using first or third-party cookies, which can be analyzed by companies to personalize advertisements and can even be collected by the government to maintain a database of its citizens. In the U.S., companies like Google and Facebook may be legally obligated to cooperate with the N.S.A and disclose data to law enforcement when required. Data collection on news websites can be especially unfavorable for users because the news and content you consume can be analyzed by the government to gauge your political leanings and intents in the perspective of national interest.
User data being sold to the highest bidder raises concerns that nothing done on the internet is truly hidden. This, in turn, leaves users highly exposed to surveillance and monitoring. In an economic sense, networking platform Facebook is able to control large amounts of data from its own website and the Instagram and Whatsapp platforms, which gives it an upper hand on curating advertisements and mining data for trends which creates an advantage over competitors for decades to come. Additionally, billions of users communicating over Facebook means its algorithm can influence politics as seen in many regions like China, Myanmar, and the Middle East.
Although in a wider sense, people prefer their information to be kept private and not distributed on a large scale, the desire to remain connected around the world and stay informed about world news fuels the influx of large numbers of people joining 'free' websites like Facebook. It is important to remember, however, that it is not actually free, and that our access to world wide information is in return for our attention and data. At the same time, the collection of data can be also prove to be advantageous to users in the form of getting personalized content, access to less widely known products, and widespread use of smart appliances like refrigerators that tell the user when a food product expires, etcetera.
As time progresses, the highest power in society has trickled down from companies that manufacture products, to those that provide services, and now to those that own the most data; because the data owned by a company directly equates to their monopoly over consumer satisfaction. From a less appealing perspective, the future for data and networking could potentially mean cyber-insecurity against nation-states, businesses and individuals, and cyber-warfare in the form of leaking of sensitive information and/or monopoly over industries. However, most people love to receive a curated music playlist from Spotify, and while there is room for privacy regulations to improve, there does not seem to be an end to the vast sharing and collection of data in the near future.
Sources and References:
[1] Libert, Timothy. “This Article Is Spying on You.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Sept. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/18/opinion/data-privacy-tracking.html. [Accessed: 12-Jan-2020].
[2] Hughes, Chris. “It's Time to Break Up Facebook.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 May 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/opinion/sunday/chris-hughes-facebook-zuckerberg.html. [Accessed: 12-Jan-2020].
[3] Gerstell, Glenn S. “I Work for N.S.A. We Cannot Afford to Lose the Digital Revolution.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Sept. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/opinion/nsa-privacy.html. [Accessed: 12-Jan-2020].
Comments:
Dane Bell's post: (Link to post)
Dane,
I did my blog post on a related note to yours, since I think the topic of how much privacy we actually have in everyday life is an interesting one to consider. We are living in an increasingly interconnected world where people (including myself) seem to trade private information about our lives for smart tech and ease of living. Devices like the Apple watch and Alexa make our lives so much easier by organizing our schedules, providing reminders, and tracking our health. Although we are aware that analyzing collected data on us is what makes tech predictive and smarter, I wonder how much farther we would be willing to go for the sake of having smart devices and AI.
User data being sold to the highest bidder raises concerns that nothing done on the internet is truly hidden. This, in turn, leaves users highly exposed to surveillance and monitoring. In an economic sense, networking platform Facebook is able to control large amounts of data from its own website and the Instagram and Whatsapp platforms, which gives it an upper hand on curating advertisements and mining data for trends which creates an advantage over competitors for decades to come. Additionally, billions of users communicating over Facebook means its algorithm can influence politics as seen in many regions like China, Myanmar, and the Middle East.
Although in a wider sense, people prefer their information to be kept private and not distributed on a large scale, the desire to remain connected around the world and stay informed about world news fuels the influx of large numbers of people joining 'free' websites like Facebook. It is important to remember, however, that it is not actually free, and that our access to world wide information is in return for our attention and data. At the same time, the collection of data can be also prove to be advantageous to users in the form of getting personalized content, access to less widely known products, and widespread use of smart appliances like refrigerators that tell the user when a food product expires, etcetera.
As time progresses, the highest power in society has trickled down from companies that manufacture products, to those that provide services, and now to those that own the most data; because the data owned by a company directly equates to their monopoly over consumer satisfaction. From a less appealing perspective, the future for data and networking could potentially mean cyber-insecurity against nation-states, businesses and individuals, and cyber-warfare in the form of leaking of sensitive information and/or monopoly over industries. However, most people love to receive a curated music playlist from Spotify, and while there is room for privacy regulations to improve, there does not seem to be an end to the vast sharing and collection of data in the near future.
Sources and References:
[1] Libert, Timothy. “This Article Is Spying on You.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Sept. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/18/opinion/data-privacy-tracking.html. [Accessed: 12-Jan-2020].
[2] Hughes, Chris. “It's Time to Break Up Facebook.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 May 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/opinion/sunday/chris-hughes-facebook-zuckerberg.html. [Accessed: 12-Jan-2020].
[3] Gerstell, Glenn S. “I Work for N.S.A. We Cannot Afford to Lose the Digital Revolution.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Sept. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/10/opinion/nsa-privacy.html. [Accessed: 12-Jan-2020].
Comments:
Dane Bell's post: (Link to post)
Dane,
I did my blog post on a related note to yours, since I think the topic of how much privacy we actually have in everyday life is an interesting one to consider. We are living in an increasingly interconnected world where people (including myself) seem to trade private information about our lives for smart tech and ease of living. Devices like the Apple watch and Alexa make our lives so much easier by organizing our schedules, providing reminders, and tracking our health. Although we are aware that analyzing collected data on us is what makes tech predictive and smarter, I wonder how much farther we would be willing to go for the sake of having smart devices and AI.
Isabel Brooks' post: (Link to post)
Isabel,
You have done a great job compiling and discussing some of the most exciting innovations building technology. As an architectural engineering major, the prospect of utilizing Virtual Reality to view the built space and explore different options is very thrilling. While most of these technologies are built to ease the demands of professionals, that may not always be the case in the result. For example, I think it would be interesting to do an analysis on the amount of time and costs saved by 3D printing a simple building relative to building the traditional way and see how to could improve, since 3D printing buildings are not yet commonplace. The opportunities for creativity in development and usage are truly endless.
Amanda Kolar's post: (Link to post)
Amanda,
I find your post about Robotics and AI very interesting. When Robotics is the topic being discussed it is usually hard to differentiate it from the conversation of unemployment. Hence, I agree with the point you made that "proper changes in training are proving to be incredibly important, because without it, unemployment could rise and salaries would drop". I got a glimpse of this situation when I was on winter break in St. John's, NL, where services like Uber and Grubhub were not available due to the need to minimize competition for local brands, and also party due to the fact that most of the population is over the age of 45. This decision definitely keeps the flow of money in check, but limits the ability to track a ride or the options to choose a place to eat. As long as robotics and smart technology influence our society, we need to prepare to stay ahead of it by improving our current systems in place without compromising on benefits.
Isabel,
You have done a great job compiling and discussing some of the most exciting innovations building technology. As an architectural engineering major, the prospect of utilizing Virtual Reality to view the built space and explore different options is very thrilling. While most of these technologies are built to ease the demands of professionals, that may not always be the case in the result. For example, I think it would be interesting to do an analysis on the amount of time and costs saved by 3D printing a simple building relative to building the traditional way and see how to could improve, since 3D printing buildings are not yet commonplace. The opportunities for creativity in development and usage are truly endless.
Amanda Kolar's post: (Link to post)
Amanda,
I find your post about Robotics and AI very interesting. When Robotics is the topic being discussed it is usually hard to differentiate it from the conversation of unemployment. Hence, I agree with the point you made that "proper changes in training are proving to be incredibly important, because without it, unemployment could rise and salaries would drop". I got a glimpse of this situation when I was on winter break in St. John's, NL, where services like Uber and Grubhub were not available due to the need to minimize competition for local brands, and also party due to the fact that most of the population is over the age of 45. This decision definitely keeps the flow of money in check, but limits the ability to track a ride or the options to choose a place to eat. As long as robotics and smart technology influence our society, we need to prepare to stay ahead of it by improving our current systems in place without compromising on benefits.
7 comments:
Varsha,
I was really intrigued to read about this topic of data collecting and networks, and you did a wonderful job at creating a cohesive blog post about it. Although it is sometimes convenient to receive ads on stuff I am genuinely interested in, it also seems like an invasion of my privacy. You mentioned in your post that communicating over social media sites can influence politics all around the world, and that seems more of a concern to me. I recently got a Google Home Mini and I read some articles on how Google uses these devices to collect data on its users based on what they request the Google Home Mini to do. We are constantly being monitored on all our devices whether we are aware or not, so we have to be careful about releasing our personal information on the web.
Varsha,
I think your blog posts does a great job at discussing a pressing issue nowadays, which is how much privacy we are willing to
give up online. I think all us have experienced that odd feeling of getting advertisements for something you were just talking about in places like instagram or facebook. Although this is sometimes helpful, it is also worrisome to be unsure of exactly what information is being shared or analyzed. I think this is that type of issue where most us like to turn the blind eye because thinking too much about it is a little scary.
Varsha,
Interesting post! You did a great job explaining the scary but true side of the web. I think we can all agree that we have been victims of this form of targeted advertising. I have seen videos of people testing this theory but taking it a step further: rather than specifically searching for a product (they used cat food for the example) they made sure to say the word 'cat food' loud and clear throughout the day in sentences such as 'we are running low on cat food'. Being that they had a Google Home or an Amazon Alexa in the house that is always listening, they saw an advertisement for cat food within just a few days. This frightening revelation proves your article to be accurate.
Varsha
I wrote on a very similar topic and although I agree with you that the big tech companies are very coy with their advertising, they have yet to do any harm and could in fact help in the long run. With lots of data do you believe that trends could be found that a human would never think of or is unable to perceive simply based on bias alone?
The topic you discussed in your post is very important for technology users to keep in mind. Many people do not realize the immense amount of behavioral and seemingly private information that can be legally obtained from free websites. The owners of these websites can then use this data to make predictions and classify individuals into groups to be manipulated. While in many cases this collection of data is harmless and can even make an individual's life easier, there are often negative unseen consequences. Thank you for raising awareness to this very important topic.
Varsha,
This is definitely an interesting understanding of how companies with consumer information can benefit. With more customer information companies can make changes and make it the way the customer wants it. They can target the customer with the means of advertisement. They can create a bubble in the customer's head and make sure that the product is a necessary requirement for the customers. All this is done for customers' satisfaction and the company's benefits.
Varsha,
Your post on technology, particularly data collection, is very insightful. Data collection can seem innocent, but it is a huge invasion of privacy. I agree that nothing done on the internet is truly hidden. It's concerning that someone browsing a news site innocently is unwillingly "selling" their private data, and indirectly influencing their internet browsing experience. I'm sure it makes a lot of people want to throw away every electronic they own. However, the human desire to connect and relate to other people is what keeps everyone online. Plus, deleting your Facebook account doesn't get rid of the data they already have.
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