One minute, you are talking with a friend or family member over the phone. The discussion is probably about buying a new phone or some shoes. Next thing you know, you are seeing advertisements on different phone makes.
The reason for this current trend is very simple. In recent times, the eCommerce industry has overseen significant growth. More small and medium-scale enterprises are springing up daily. Considering that most of them are bootstrapping, these companies have to devise more intelligent ways to market to customers properly.
To ensure that they efficiently reach their intended audience, these firms use artificial intelligence and machine learning tools. Unlike the regular method, this approach is far more targeted and leaves lasting impressions on people. This is because they are most likely considering the fact that these individuals were already conceiving these products or services.
How Advertising Companies Collect and Use Personal Information
Earlier, we mentioned the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools for advertising. However, these tools only come to play towards the end of the process. The moral challenge is in the beginning stage when these organizations are sourcing data.
There are several ways of getting the personal data of individuals. To understand the call for morality, we need to ascertain these different measures. Doing this will give insights into why everyone needs to learn how to remove personal information from the Internet.
Here are some ways through which companies source personal data:
Direct Request From People
This is the most ethical method of data collection, and it takes different forms. One of them is the use of surveys or questionnaires, or other ways that require people to divulge their information consensually. More so, the company has to state the purpose of the exercise.
Meanwhile, it is not just protection or servicing companies that use this approach. Many advertising companies usually utilize this method for gathering data. They then offer these details to establishments that need them.
Internet Tracking and Cookies
This method is where things start to get a bit shady. Before discussing further details, it is important to understand how accessing the internet works.
Every time you visit a website, it stores some tiny pieces of information (known as a cookie) on your browser. This way, your web browser can easily remember some useful information. Cookies also help to ascertain how many times different web users visit a particular page.
There are two major problems with this method. First, people do not even realize that websites are keeping bits of their personal information. This means that individuals do not consent to share their private data.
In addition, no one can tell exactly the particular information about you that the website is storing. So, even those that are willing to give out their information cannot ascertain the exact details they are r
Emails Tracking
Before now, companies needed to hope and pray that the receiver of their mail opened it to access the content. Unlike when you are using direct messaging apps, no one can tell when the recipient has opened their mail. Even if they do, the only confirmation the sender can get is a response.
With the use of more sophisticated tools, people can easily track and monitor the emails they send. They can easily tell the receiver’s current location and the device they use to access their mailbox.
Social Media
Have you ever tried to access a platform, and they asked you to log in by manually creating an account or linking an existing social media account? They simply ask that you sign up via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. This is very common among consumer platforms like Uber, Netflix, Spotify, Canva, etc.
Most often than not, people will decide to connect to a third-party platform. The reason is that this process is way faster than having to manually input some details necessary for opening an account. After all, the time spent filling out multiple forms can be used for other things.
What they do not understand is that they are granting such external platforms unfettered access to their social media data. Once you click on “Allow,” the third-party website can now monitor and access your social media activities. Like with the use of cookies, it is hard to ascertain the amount of private information you have given away.
Mobile Applications and Other Software
This process works similarly to email tracking. However, the method is far more sophisticated. It can extract more than just your location and device type.
It is common practice for mobile applications to require special access to function properly. The access ranges from device storage to your contacts. Some apps will even ask for permission to use your phone or computer camera.
While these software programs may require these rights to function effectively, giving them access also comes with a risk. For example, someone who saves private data like passwords on their contact list is vulnerable to information theft. Hackers can easily mine data from such applications for malicious purposes.
How Companies Use Your Personal Information
After gathering data using the following, tech companies mine and extract the information they need. This includes the individual’s address, age, gender, occupation, interests, communication channel preference, and other details that can help them build a virtual profile.
With this virtual representation of users, advertising companies can properly promote products or services. When they want to advertise, they select profiles whose details match customers that will likely use a product or service. Then these promotional firms use the channel of communication such people prefer to market to these individuals.
This explains why YouTube will show ads from eCommerce stores after you search for products available on eCommerce stores. At certain times, their predictions may not be accurate. A perfect example includes when a friend uses her phone or computer to access the internet.
How People Can Protect Their Private Data
So far, we have established the ways through which tech companies gather data. Besides the direct request method, almost every other approach is shady.
While many tech companies use unethical data collection methods, people cannot afford to stop using the internet. Many individuals will still use the services of B2C eCommerce brands.
Similarly, everyone cannot trust these tech companies simply because they gather information for promotional purposes. There have been many cases where people’s private information was exploited. A good example is the case where BBC, MSN, and New York Times were used to promote an ad that led to a cyber-attack.
Furthermore, these advertising companies are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and successful security breaches could have fatal consequences. Considering the options, the only thing people can really do is protect themselves.
Here are tips to safeguard your personal information:
- Disable tracking features on web browsers.
- Turn off or regularly clear cookies from web browsers.
- Limit the ad tracking feature on your device.
- Install an ad blocker on your device.
- Limit the amount and type of information you share.
- Revoke access of applications and platforms you no longer use.
- Verify the authenticity of any advertisement before taking the call to action.
Conclusion
Tech companies need data to serve their existing and intended customers properly. As a result, they resort to various means (both unethical and unethical) to get the desired information. While this is largely efficient, it still has some significant drawbacks.
One of them is the unethical nature of the practices. Asides from the moral aspect, not every advertising company can properly safeguard user data. This means that any hacker who bypasses the organization’s security measures will have his or her hands in the cookie jar.
As shown above, cybercriminals use advertising companies to target web users. Considering the risks, people need to be more careful and be more conscious of protecting themselves. They can use the tips listed in this content to reduce their chances of becoming victims of targeted ad scams.