I have never thought of myself as someone with a large online footprint. I don't use Facebook or Twitter. My Instagram and Snapchat accounts are both set to private; I only use Snapchat to communicate with close friends, and it has been a little less than a year since I posted on Instagram. I first created my social media accounts in high school and am quickly growing tired of them. When I spend a lot of time online, I begin comparing the entirety of my life to the best parts of my friends' lives. I find myself feeling depressed, less social, and less productive. It wasn't until recently that I became aware of the various privacy issues associated with the internet, specifically issues involving tracking.
In several of my courses, professors have discussed how social media sites can track our personal data and use it for marketing purposes. However, I did not let this stop me from entering my email on several websites. I tried to avoid giving out my phone number, but I did not hesitate to release my name and other personal information. I was not aware of the extremely pervasive nature of companies' tracking techniques. My perspective began to change when I read Richard Stokes' article, "I Left the Ad Industry Because Our Use of Data Tracking Terrified Me". Stokes describes how companies can use our cell phones to uncover intimate details of our day to day lives. Our cell phones can be used to trace our every movement; companies can go so far as to use our phones to track our addresses. Websites can gather our private information, even if we are not fully aware of it. Stokes writes, "These companies have been extracting our personal data without permission and making fortunes with it. And now, with every post, click, and purchase, we have become the product". As websites sell our personal information to other companies, we transition from being mere consumers to being the merchandise.
In recent months, I have been considering trying to diminish my online footprint. I have always felt somewhat uncomfortable using social media. Now that I am aware of various tracking techniques, I am even more hesitant to continue posting online. With that being said, I can only do so much to limit my online presence. Even if I delete all of my social media accounts, I will still be seen on other people's pages, and I cannot take back the personal information that I have given to other sites. Similarly, companies may still be able to track me through the location services on my phone. The idea of online tracking is rather frightening, but I don't know how we can completely resolve the issue. I may not have a solution to the problem of data tracking but at least now, I am aware of it.
"I Left the Ad Industry Because Our Use of Data Tracking Terrified Me" by Richard Stokes
No comments:
Post a Comment