Bittersweet Big Data 🎭

Gracie Qin
Nov 3 · 4 min read

Have you ever frightened by how much data companies collect through online services and use it to target us with ads? Even though it is not a new scene anymore, but aren’t you still surprised at how much those commodities knows about you?

It is unfair from a interior standpoint, especially when company selling your data to some annoying sellers or even doing evil things, but at the same time, there are ads targeting to consumer’s current needs, which makes shopping more convenient and efficient than ever. This is definitely not a win-win situation, and the downside can lead to rampage privacy violation and even the darker side, like liquor store ad displaying in front of an alcoholic. The targeting and retargeting are mechanized, instead of humanized.

Since the US is at forefront of deploying advanced technologies, which means companies that are would first target on US customers. The US had been served as a playground for the big-data economy, which means that US citizens have to be more aware of the dangers. For example, 23andMe, which is a DNA testing kit companies sign on to voluntary guidelines that prohibit sharing identifiable genetic data with third parties but permit anonymized data-sharing for research. The research could be a grey area. Genetics being used for advertising one day, have the marketing ways gone too advanced or too out of control?

Have you wondered where have they caught your data? For example, advertising identifiers in the headers of mobile web traffic, fingerprinting browsers, customer tracking in store using wi-fi probe data, SDKs inside mobile apps, and ultrasonic tones from TV that are outside the range of hearing but can be detected by apps on smart devices to track viewing habits. The ads that follow you around is nothing more like the Netflix recommending you the TV show you might like, but thousands times more scaring, since you have no idea the tracking is everywhere. Consumers seem to be helpless, unless they swear not to go near to the technology.

Just as what I mentioned in the beginning of this article, this is not a win-win situation, the so-called intrusion of consumer’s privacy was the main support to those big search engine business and social media platform. Bill Budington had said that he does not expect this data economy to change, and normally the regulation comes in with ill-word and misapplication, which can do more damage than it does good. But from a business standpoint, “A publisher’s audience is their currency.” the data collection behind it are fair compensation for companies that provide free online services, such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter would likely not exist if they could not turn user’s data into cash. Not everyone has the money to pay for subscriptions or is willing to — but most people have value to advertisers as potential customers.

Now, EFF (electronic Frontier Foundation) created privacy badger-which is a browser extension that blocks ads and trackers. It lets users toggle which trackers are allowed to interact with their web experience, and it replaces social widgets and embedded YouTube videos with badger icons that viewers have to click in order to activate, which means giving permission to transmit the information about the viewers.

Nothing’s for free, and nothing’s happened by accident. If you look at this from a benefit exchange view, you will see this is nothing more than exchanging equal values. This is a dead-end circulation. More and more people relying on those big search engines and social media, more data will be transmitted, and more privacy intrusion would occur. It depends on how audiences’ position this. With EFF’s Privacy badger, it makes online tracking a consumer’s choice and responsibility, which was a brilliant implementation.

Bittersweet Big Data, Take it or leave it 🙈

Thank you for reading ~

Have a wonderful week aheadđŸ„

Marketing in the Age of Digital

thoughts and reflections on digital first marketing from NYUSPS Integrated Marketing Grad Students

Gracie Qin

Written by

Upcoming marketer & Creative thinker & Life challenge seeker

Marketing in the Age of Digital

thoughts and reflections on digital first marketing from NYUSPS Integrated Marketing Grad Students

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