sometimes when I talk IRL about privacy issues online and the impulse to not share my user data, shopping habits, with anyone and everyone etc, I get pushback from otherwise smart people who want to know why I don't want to be tracked. I'm not even talking like doing Snowden type shit. just like very basic avoidance. like not using advertisers' browsers or installing all the treat apps for discount treats at the treat shoppe.
it always throws me, because it seems self evident. but these people seem to think receiving highly specific and targeting marketing benefits them by showing them products and services they are interested in.
I can't really wrap my mind around it, except my guess is they believe they have complete control and agency over their attention and would never be influenced to do something or believe something against their interests.
When this conversation comes up, my go-to is talking about people getting doxxed who were innocent. Boston Bomber, that airplane doctor, a lot of kids/minors, etc. It's easy for people to grasp they can randomly be targeted by a lynch mob because they look like someone or their name matches the wrong guy.
You can also get into deep dives on people finding out where a photo was taken just by looking at things like which way the wind was blowing, contrails in the sky, or where the sun is. You explain this can be used to track their kids or find out where they live.
Furthermore, just by figuring out a person's relationships, people can figure out important security questions (mother's maiden name, where they went for third grade, etc.). These can be used for ID theft.
My concern personally is there's no protections on privacy. As we've seen with the repeal of Roe v. Wade, social media and electronics can be used to track people in order to convict them with crimes. This can happen with any issue. Republicans may be fine with abortion being outlawed, but how are they going to feel when democrats finally repeal the second ammendment and throw them into FEMA camps or whatever nonsense conservatives are thinking of? The government can figure out if you're part of a gun club or maybe sees you in the background of your friend's picture at a shooting range.
You start piling on bad things that can happen to them and people start realizing they need to delete Facebook and Instagram.
The entire point of marketing is to manipulate us into buying shit we don't need and didn't want. If it didn't work then companies wouldn't throw billions at it.
sometimes when I talk IRL about privacy issues online and the impulse to not share my user data, shopping habits, with anyone and everyone etc, I get pushback from otherwise smart people who want to know why I don't want to be tracked. I'm not even talking like doing Snowden type shit. just like very basic avoidance. like not using advertisers' browsers or installing all the treat apps for discount treats at the treat shoppe.
it always throws me, because it seems self evident. but these people seem to think receiving highly specific and targeting marketing benefits them by showing them products and services they are interested in.
I can't really wrap my mind around it, except my guess is they believe they have complete control and agency over their attention and would never be influenced to do something or believe something against their interests.
which is comes across as super naive to me.
When this conversation comes up, my go-to is talking about people getting doxxed who were innocent. Boston Bomber, that airplane doctor, a lot of kids/minors, etc. It's easy for people to grasp they can randomly be targeted by a lynch mob because they look like someone or their name matches the wrong guy.
You can also get into deep dives on people finding out where a photo was taken just by looking at things like which way the wind was blowing, contrails in the sky, or where the sun is. You explain this can be used to track their kids or find out where they live.
Furthermore, just by figuring out a person's relationships, people can figure out important security questions (mother's maiden name, where they went for third grade, etc.). These can be used for ID theft.
My concern personally is there's no protections on privacy. As we've seen with the repeal of Roe v. Wade, social media and electronics can be used to track people in order to convict them with crimes. This can happen with any issue. Republicans may be fine with abortion being outlawed, but how are they going to feel when democrats finally repeal the second ammendment and throw them into FEMA camps or whatever nonsense conservatives are thinking of? The government can figure out if you're part of a gun club or maybe sees you in the background of your friend's picture at a shooting range.
You start piling on bad things that can happen to them and people start realizing they need to delete Facebook and Instagram.
The entire point of marketing is to manipulate us into buying shit we don't need and didn't want. If it didn't work then companies wouldn't throw billions at it.