Metrics and Analytics: lj 2
After reading We Are Data -Preface and introduction, I was surprised to learn more about the EU google restrictions. I was although I am aware of some of the things that the preface and introduction talked about, I still found it very creepy in a way how were all categorized by our internet usage. I logged into the www.google.ads/preferences and was looking through everything, surprisingly, they are very accurate. To the point of knowing personal things like we are trying to get pregnant. I also logged into google EU and did some research on there. Even looking up celebrities and influencers to see of the are categorized as one. Knowing this, I did change some privacy settings. I will not change the way I use the internet because in a sense I already have a long history of online presence and using the internet and social media is a part of my everyday life and work. I did hide my information form public record finding websites, I things that about as much as I can do in the sense of protecting my security. I found it interesting how were constantly made over about one thousand times per day- made in the sense of our algorithm preferences (Cheney-Lippold, 2017). I think it’s a total invasion if google decides you’re a celebrity, you lose the right to be forgotten. The face.com part of the article makes me wonder what apple sees with the face recognition software they use to unlock your phones. During covid, it would sometimes unlock even with my mask on.
In the sense of a professional capacity, I will limit the things I like on social media. After the readings, I went onto LinkedIn and did some searching around. Some of the people have a social media section on their page and it tells you in real time the posts and videos you like and comment on. It was again, very creepy. In general, any personal use of social media can be found somewhere by an employer. I believe there’s website that employers use where they can find all your accounts and activity online. All in all, we are data, and anyone who uses the internet for anything had been categorized and you’re constantly being watched and logged by someone or a database system.
Bibliography
Cheney-Lippold, 2017. We are data: algorithms and the making of our digital selves. New York, New York University Press.
Just about every social media platform utilizes this tactic, of automatically tracking and opting their users into automatic feedback and data diagnostic sends of their activity. It is frightening as you say, mobile devices and the applications we use literally track your every move, conversation, and text. We cannot fight the fact that this is happening, but we can restrict how much we share.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of tracking an algorithm uses to keep similar content in front of you is actually crazy. Sometimes ill log out of an old account and make a new one on the same platform just to see how different media is pushed harder than others. It's actually pretty intense to see how quickly your viewed media changes based on what you've already seen or engaged with.
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt, all the information that the author has presented in the article is surprising and in fact we are "data". That is why all webs in general seek to have the information that we can provide to manage advertising that may interest us and be safe consumers. In addition, it is important to know how to manage the settings of our social networks and we must certainly be careful with our online behaviors.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting you furthered your research on this topic. In regards to google adjusting ads individually, this is true. Whether we realize it or not, they are constantly watching, listening and reading what we write, post, watch and listen too. I wouldn't be surprised if even this comment is archived somewhere.
ReplyDeleteHi NSA!