Are you listening? Data, Privacy, andEthics

We are all aware that the data we share online is often used tosend us ads for items that may be of interest to us. Amazon is aperfect example of this. As you search, purchase, and comment onproducts on the Amazon website, Amazon collects that data and usingan algorithm analyzes that data and provides you with suggestionsfor products you may be interested in purchasing. Most of us don’tsee this as an intrusion of our privacy since we freely gave theinformation by using the Amazon website. In fact, when youinitially used Amazon you agreed to their privacy policy allowingAmazon to collect information about you when you interact withAmazon.

The same is true for social media websites/apps. For example,Facebook collects data about you and uses the data to put ads ontoyour newsfeed for products you may be interested in. However, howwould feel about a social media app that also listens to what youdiscuss and uses that information to send you advertisements forproducts? If you use Instagram and have posted a picture or shareda video, you would have been asked “Instagram would like access toyour camera and microphone”. You probably said yes, after all youwanted to post the picture or video and it made sense that the appneeded permission to access your camera and microphone. However,once you click agree then you have given access to your camera andmicrophone to Instagram anytime you have the app open (unless yougo back into your settings and disable access). Is this ethical? Ifyou gave access for the sole purpose of sharing a picture or video,does that give Instagram the right to continue to use that accessfor other purposes?

Assignment:

• Conduct your own experiment to see if Instagram is listening toyour conversations.
  • Check the settings on your phone for your Instagram account.Microphone and Camera should both be enabled.   Here is an example of what it may look like:
  • With the app open, discuss with a friend something you arethinking about purchasing that you have never searched for onlineor purchased. For example, if you have never searched for babystrollers, spend some time discussing with someone how you arelooking for a new baby stroller.
  • Wait and see how long it takes for you to start to receive adsfor the product you discussed.
  • Document your findings
• Whether or not your experiment resulted in you receiving adsfor the product you discussed, write a 1 page reflection on theethical implications of apps listening to your conversations andusing that information to send you targeted ads.