YOUR Personal Data is Being Sold
Your personal data is being sold without you even knowing it. Everything you search tells Google what you want and or what you need. Your location history tells investors what businesses are most visited. The internet builds a profile on you, what you like, where you go, who you are, and companies are selling your profile to other companies.
Zeynep Tufekci mentioned in her Ted Talk "We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads", that everything we search and look up is part of an algorithm.
When you're on a website, you usually get a little pop up that tells you, "this website enables cookies". Without reading the fine print we usually click the close button or click enable. But what are exactly cookies?
There are different type of cookies, that collect your data in different ways by data brokers.
Different type of cookies:
Traditional Cookies: This type of cookie is mainly used by larger companies such as Facebook, Google, etc. This type of cookie uses a cross-site tracker, which allows them to track you from website to website.
Super Cookies: This cookie is most famously used by Verizon, who had to pay $1.35 million fine to the FCC. Super cookies are extremely difficult to clear from your browser.
Finger printers: Uses a cross-site tracker to follow users by creating a profile that is unique to an individual. They record things like your IP address, what computer you're using, and your screen resolution.
Identity trackers: This type of tracker doesn't use cookies but is still important. Trackers use your information, such as your email address, to track you. They wait till you login to a website and then record your email.
Session replay scripts: Uses a same-site script to invaded everything about you. Session replay scripts collect data on everything you search and do. It collects which products you click on and even passwords to your accounts.
Is it legal?
Yes, there were some acts that were passed in in 1974 and 1970 to help prevent this. The Fair credit Reporting Act and Privacy Act, regulated transparency but did nothing to prevent these corporations and government from collecting your personal data in the first place.
Is there a way to stop them from selling your data?
Yes, by contacting all the companies that sell your data you can have them stop or buy ad blockers which should prevent some use of cookies. All I have to say is good luck with your journey and hopefully everything about you isn't sold to the wide majority of companies today.
Citations:
Zeynep Tufekci mentioned in her Ted Talk "We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads", that everything we search and look up is part of an algorithm.
When you're on a website, you usually get a little pop up that tells you, "this website enables cookies". Without reading the fine print we usually click the close button or click enable. But what are exactly cookies?
There are different type of cookies, that collect your data in different ways by data brokers.
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| Erik Barajas |
Traditional Cookies: This type of cookie is mainly used by larger companies such as Facebook, Google, etc. This type of cookie uses a cross-site tracker, which allows them to track you from website to website.
Super Cookies: This cookie is most famously used by Verizon, who had to pay $1.35 million fine to the FCC. Super cookies are extremely difficult to clear from your browser.
Finger printers: Uses a cross-site tracker to follow users by creating a profile that is unique to an individual. They record things like your IP address, what computer you're using, and your screen resolution.
Identity trackers: This type of tracker doesn't use cookies but is still important. Trackers use your information, such as your email address, to track you. They wait till you login to a website and then record your email.
Session replay scripts: Uses a same-site script to invaded everything about you. Session replay scripts collect data on everything you search and do. It collects which products you click on and even passwords to your accounts.
Is it legal?
Yes, there were some acts that were passed in in 1974 and 1970 to help prevent this. The Fair credit Reporting Act and Privacy Act, regulated transparency but did nothing to prevent these corporations and government from collecting your personal data in the first place.
Is there a way to stop them from selling your data?
Yes, by contacting all the companies that sell your data you can have them stop or buy ad blockers which should prevent some use of cookies. All I have to say is good luck with your journey and hopefully everything about you isn't sold to the wide majority of companies today.
Citations:
Barajas, Erik, and Ktrk. “Cookie Scraping: How Data Thieves Could Steal Your Personal Information Online.” ABC13 Houston, 2 Nov. 2018, abc13.com/technology/3-ways-data-thieves-are-stealing-your-info-online/4600107/.
Matsakis, Louise. “The WIRED Guide to Your Personal Data (and Who Is Using It).” Wired, Conde Nast, 19 Feb. 2019, www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-personal-data-collection/.
Nield, David. “The Complete Guide to Cookies and All the Scary Stuff Websites Install on Your Computer.” Gizmodo, Gizmodo, 28 Aug. 2018, gizmodo.com/the-complete-guide-to-cookies-and-all-the-scary-stuff-w-1794247382.
Tufekci, Zeynep. “We're Building a Dystopia Just to Make People Click on Ads.” TED, www.ted.com/talks/zeynep_tufekci_we_re_building_a_dystopia_just_to_make_people_click_on_ads/discussion#t-12530.
This was very informational and I learned a lot from this but I also want to know how do you feel about this topic? Are you concerned about your information? -Maurgan
ReplyDeleteGood information about the kinds of cookies that are used. It seems a little ridiculous to have to contact every company or website a person might use. Is there any regulation being proposed? What are the rules in other countries?
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't forget internal citations for your information.
Great blog! I had never thought about the cookies on websites and now I can be more careful. Is there an example of a certain company stealing information from someone? That could strengthen your argument.
ReplyDelete