Social Media Permissions: Understanding Your Privacy and Whats Given Up.
One of the most simplistic ways in which social media apps collect our personal information is through the permissions we grant them on our mobile devices. Many apps ask for access to our contacts, camera, microphone, and location, among other things. This allows the apps to collect a significant amount of personal data, which can be used for targeted advertising and other purposes. In some cases, users may not even be aware of the extent of data collection and sharing that is occurring when they grant these permissions. Its also not uncommon for some social media apps to be "baked in" to devices from the factory, making them quite difficult to remove.
To protect yourself from this type of data collection, it's important to be mindful of the permissions you grant to social media apps. Only grant the minimum set of permissions that an app needs to function, and consider disabling location tracking when you're not actively using the app or requiring a current position. Another way to mitigate this risk is to use a browser to access social media instead of an app, or use a containerized browsing solution like Firefox container or Chrome container extension.
Another way in which our personal information is being collected and shared is through a technique called fingerprinting. Fingerprinting is a method used to track a user's online activity by collecting information about their device and browser, including screen resolution and browser add-ons. This information can be used to create a unique "fingerprint" that can be used to track the user across different websites. One of the companies that has been known to use this technique is Facebook, which uses share and like buttons on non-Facebook sites for analytical purposes. This allows them to track users even when they are not directly using the Facebook platform.
An additional way companies and individuals can track users who do not have a Facebook account is through the use of ghost profiles. These are fake profiles that are created for the purpose of tracking users. These profiles can be used to track users' online activity, including their browsing history and search queries, even when they are not logged in to Facebook. They can also be used to build detailed profiles of users, including their demographic information, interests, and social connections. There's little information on why this occurs, however the commonly accepted theme appears to be applying "who you may know" and allowing new users to activate an account and find people they know with little trouble. We do know through the congress appearances during 2018 that this occurs, even if we cant be entirely certain on why.
One of the most significant examples of how personal data can be mishandled is the Cambridge Analytica Scandal. Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, harvested the personal data of millions of Facebook users without their consent, in order to influence the 2016 US presidential election. This scandal brought to light the extent to which personal data can be misused, and the importance of protecting our personal information from being mishandled. It also showed the effectiveness of the "reach" that social media can have when targeted analytics are used to deliver personalised advertising, or in some more extreme cases, propaganda supporting a particular viewpoint.
And if we sidestep for a moment to look at "interesting" examples of personalised information being used by large companies we can stop for a moment to look at the Target data breach of 2012. In 2012, it was revealed that Target, a large retail chain in the United States, had been using data mining techniques to identify and target pregnant customers. The company analyzed purchase data to identify items commonly bought by pregnant women, such as unscented lotions, large bags of cotton balls, and certain types of washcloths. The company then used this information to send targeted ads and coupons to these customers.
The revelation of this practice caused a significant public backlash, with many people expressing concerns about privacy invasion and manipulation. Some customers felt that Target had crossed a line by using their personal purchase data to identify and target them in this way. Others felt that it was an invasion of privacy for Target to know that they were pregnant before they had even told their friends and family.
Target issued an apology for the way that it had handled the situation and for any offense it may have caused. They also announced that it would no longer use purchase data to target pregnant customers and take more care in the future when using data to target ads.
So, in closing, as we continue to use social media and other online platforms, it's important to be aware of the ways in which our personal information is being collected and shared. Little steps, like containerised browsing and other strategies we've discussed in this article can make a big difference on the level of information we are providing by using these apps. Additionally if we understand what we are sharing and what specific instances we should be concerned about while we are using our apps the we have a far easier time resting when the invevitble data breach comes along. In the early post 9-11 era, privacy concerns could easily be mitigated with the favoured saying "But i dont have anything to hide!". In the electronic era however, we can see that its often not actually about having something to hide. Its more often about ensuring we are exposed to balaced viewpoints and are less vulnerable to things like distributed propaganda, inflamtory content and data breaches when they occur.
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