How algorithms violate your humanity and how to fix it
The internet provides an unprecedented level of connectivity, interactivity, and information, which give us an unprecedented feeling of control. This, however, is an illusion. The real control is in the “hands” of algorithms. How can we restore that control to ourselves?
First, there are many different types of algorithms, so let’s focus on the kind that define our digital personality on the web. These algorithms create an extremely detailed profile of us as consumers and are designed to determine what we are likely to buy. They neither ask for nor contain any real information about who we actually are or what we value as human beings. They track our behavior but not our heart.
The companies using them don’t care about our personal values because our values don’t impact their ability to make money from us. Yet, disregarding values such as compassion and tolerance creates a distorted image of our humanity.
What most online businesses care about is collecting data about our buying and searching behavior which they can then sell to third parties. Data concerning our values does not serve that purpose, so we are flooded with ads in which we’d never have interest. These algorithms also limit our control over what we see and choose to buy. In effect, we become a commodity that can be sold to others. Advertisers and large tech companies continuously innovate to grow the revenue we, through our data, bring them.
The Values Movement is changing all that. It moves us from a transaction-based economy to a values-based economy, where what we value is actually part of the profit equation. It pairs Members with content, including advertising, that aligns with their values.
The Values Movement is based on the premise that every person should control their data — their online voices, actions, and transactions — so they can have a real impact on the world economy. It will do that by providing its Members the power to make their voices heard individually and in cooperation with others.
Two things that make that leverage possible are the Members’ values and the Certifications that espouse those values. Members select Certifications about things that matter to them, like safety records or free trade. These Certifications ensure that a certifiable entity like a product, service or company meets certain standards and requirements. In turn, Members are served content and ads only from companies that are approved through the Certifications they have selected. Thus members see only things that match their values. Members may also continually fine-tune their values profile by adding or subtracting specific Certifications.
Here’s an example: Let’s say a Member has an interest in environmental stewardship and selects a Certification that certifies that a product does not add to waterway pollution. That Member will receive only content that meets this qualification. Because countless others share this value, the voice, buying power, and economic influence of all those Members are combined to increase their leverage. Companies respond to and shift practices to meet market demand in general. So, in this case, consumers purchasing products and services that are certified as actively working to reduce plastic pollution in waterways and oceans will help do just that. A large buying group is created which encourages businesses to respond to the opportunity by providing goods and services that match that values-based buying group.
A key part of making this work is that Members of the Values Movement own their data, unlike in the transaction-based economy where tech companies or advertisers own it. When people own their own data, they become their own gatekeepers for the information they see, including ads. Consumers, rather than algorithms, are in control of how they spend their precious time and attention.
The Values Movement creates an economic system where every individual can make a difference and connect with thousands of Members who are creating and driving a new economic reality based on the power of their voices and values. And don’t forget to subscribe to this feed to ensure you are up to date with the progress of the Values Movement as it happens.
