Technology has altered the way we live our lives. It has not only facilitated communication but has also had a good impact on collaboration, communication, dating, sharing, streaming (television shows), education, and much more.   But what if we tell you that cutting-edge technology can forecast our personalities and knows more about us than our friends and family? It certainly does!   In today’s evolving world of big data, media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, and other large corporations can now collect information about you. According to Jennifer Golbeck, a leading journalist, this data is collected through your device, internet searches, and items you like and share, and it may be used to determine hidden traits about you that you didn’t even realize you were sharing information about.  

Data Collection

  Users can create media accounts on media platforms and give behavioural, preferential, and demographic data about themselves. This information is gathered through what you post, like, accept, or search for on your devices. Big data businesses and scientists then take this information and use it to create personas about you that can tell you your age and gender and what you like and dislike.   Big data firms, in essence, create computer-based personalities based on data acquired from your gadgets & your social expousre, and these personalities wind up knowing more about you than your family and friends.   To demonstrate this, we will go over three ways social media invades your privacy so you, your family, and your friends can stay one step ahead of them.  

Knows our surroundings

  Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are examples of social networking applications that can keep track of your friendships. As frightening as it may sound, media programs may estimate who your close pals are by tracking your status updates, relationships, and activity updates.   However, these social media platforms can also help you identify new people to add to your networks. So, how does one go about doing that? You might have missed the request to access your phone and email contacts if you didn’t pay attention to the agreement terms when you created your account.   According to the Washington Post, Facebook specifically asks for your permission to scan your connections for comparable persons on your social media sites.  

Knows your interest

  How many times have you gone into Facebook or opened your computer browser to discover advertisements for your favourite band or the power tools you’ll need to finish your home renovations? Quite often, you are correct. But why is that?   Media platforms can easily track users’ activity and browser history. Media platforms and networks can produce a basic picture of your interests by following users’ Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter likes, as well as google searches. After that relevant product or services pop-ups are shown to you !  

Knows your location

Media platforms can track your whereabouts at all times by using the location services supplied by your device. Different media platforms can sell services from cafes, stores, and even show relevant friends in your region using your device’s location data.   With this knowledge, you will be reconsidering your media consumption. By giving your devices and media platforms permission to access certain information, such as your location and visited sites, they gain access to your daily routines, friends, and interests. This kind of data collection and sharing, however, is a breach of privacy.   Each person is entitled to full protection in terms of person and property, according to Samuel Warren’s Harvard Law Journal published in 1890, much before internet was even born! The issue of developing media platforms invading people’s privacy is growing increasingly prevalent as new platforms emerge every day.   With our smartphones and social media platforms gathering our data and utilizing it to figure out who we are and what to market to us, we must begin to wonder when data collection crosses the line into invasion of privacy.  

Summary

  With plethora of free services being offered , we are being used as product ! Every social media platform is trying to collect as much data about users, so they can profile us and use this profile to market related product & services. That’s why it’s being said that data is the new oil! We need to be careful, what information we are sharing on social media as we are being tracked every minute. Frequently review your social media & device privacy settings and only enable what is required. Stop access to your contacts, microphone, camera, location tracking, unnecessary notifications while installing new apps. Review your social media settings while creating new accounts and only give limited & cut down information to operate the account i.e. no need to give your name exactly same as in your PAN & Aadhaar card but you can shorten it to avoid misuse . Another example may be to disable location tracking unless you need it like booking an OLA or Uber service, but restrict it to “only while using the app” and not during other times. Always review the default privacy settings of any new app you install or social accounts you create and be aware of the fact that every information you share is being tracked and hence think twice before sharing any information .  

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