Your mobile phone, your laptop, the tablet, Televisions with any CTV or streaming features/apps, the new refrigerator, new HVAC units, the smart speakers….
Everything with a digital touchpoint, that can connect to the Internet is tracking it’s users and passing along that data.
With data being the new currency in the world today the illusion of protection is really just another data grab through a universal qualifier (like mobile #, or personal email) so they can resell your information to companies building identity graphs <a day in the life of your media consumption habits>.
There used to be ways to work around this madness, but ever since the pandemic your personal information device IDs, personal & work emails, mobile phone numbers, and multi screen verification is required to gain any kind of access.
Sometime you might be given the option of signing in through an affiliate partnership platform (like Facebook and Google) but that is hypothetically worse because now you’re handing over even more <granular data – texted content, mobile gallery photos, email messaging context, microphone access, video camera activation> of your life. <Your media consumption habits>.
- Read the in-app terms.
- Download or request your personal data from apps that have been active for a while.
- Pay attention to apps that frequently update or refresh/update shortly after you downed it <that’s them updating policy terms and scrapping whole junks of data.
My real job, the one that pays the bills, is working in Ad Tech. What I’ve learned in my many years of digital advertising is: other than people living in the European Union or the state of California, it is very scary how much sensitive/personal information is captured and recorded.
I’ll get into this topic in future posts that will be a heck of a lot brighter in context, with with examples that will entertain you rather than strike fear in your heart. Sorry for being the Debbie Downer.
I’ll end this article with some proactive suggestions to think about.
If if have the time and foresight to set up your media habits in different silos use different browsers with different emails + profiles for the following:
– Work + Career Administrative Items
– Online purchases, commerce, transactions
– Junk Mail + Naughty Stuff
***Then for all day to day items just browse in private mode. ***
It will be a pain in the buns – sorry =/
Most of the content and places you want to check-out, learn about, or use is now Quid Por Quo now.
Part of the reason you need to sign-in, accept cookies, agree/confirm XXX – or get cued to download the APP!
If you have nothing to hide and don’t care about being watched, labeled, and targeted for someone else’s image of who you are and how you should act & behave them just keep on keeping on!
No Worries – Do YOU!!!
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