2/3/2017 3 Comments Online privacyWe live in a world that is connected to the internet in one way or another. Whether it be through smart phones, computer, or even the latest in wearable technology, everything is either directly or indirectly connected to the internet. With this increase in the use of technology, we begin to encounter issues that generations in the past never did, one being internet privacy. Internet privacy has become a big issue recently in the news as more and more people are worried about the type of information other people can obtain from them. There are companies that actually benefit from people's online information as it is as good as gold. Well known companies include Facebook, Uber, Amazon, etc. Facebook is a social media company that allows users to create accounts for free and provides a platform for people to communicate with the world around them. Facebook is a popular social media platform where is has approximately 1.49 billions accounts. Even with so many accounts, how is Facebook able to keep its services for free? Well, it really isn't free because Facebook sells your data to other companies for profit. According to the website, "The price of free: how Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Google sell you to advertisers" talks about how in Facebook "We collect the content and other information you provide when you use our Services, including when you sign up for an account, create or share, and message or communicate with others. This can include information in or about the content you provide, such as the location of a photo or the date a file was created. We also collect information about how you use our Services, such as the types of content you view or engage with or the frequency and duration of your activities.” This type of information is what Facebook is selling to advertisements companies that target their advertisements to specific users. Some simple examples of this can include a user hovering their mouse over a produce they see on Facebook and the next time they log into another website, they see the same product. Is it a coincidence or not? What about wearable technology? Wearable technology is another device that is collecting information about the user, whether it be something as simple as a Fitbit for measure your heart rate up to the latest smart watches from Apple or Samsung. These wearable devices collect information about the user as well and even though it has the possibility of having a positive impact, many people are worried that the data being collected by these devices will be sold for profit. Knowing the types of advertisements people get just by using the web are bad enough, now image the possibilities that obtaining more personal user data can have. Whether it will create a positive or negative impact is yet to be determined. www.pcworld.com/article/2986988/privacy/the-price-of-free-how-apple-facebook-microsoft-and-google-sell-you-to-advertisers.html
3 Comments
2/5/2017 06:54:02 pm
Before reading your post, I was not entirely sure why Facebook, Google and Microsoft etc. were free, but was aware they were collecting our data. Now that I do know what is happening with half the data they they collect from us, I question if I still want to keep using these websites. I do. In my opinion, I don't think collecting my data is something I wouldn't want or dislike. In fact, sometimes there is things out there that I am not aware that exist, so some of these ads on Facebook help me acknowledge new websites, products, and applications that I might enjoy using. However, just because I don't ming doesn't mean the whole world doesn't mind.
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2/9/2017 03:16:11 pm
Hello Jose,
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Salvador Ramirez
2/10/2017 08:29:56 pm
Hello Jose,
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AuthorHi, my name is Jose Sanchez, but many of my friends tend to call me Pepe. I am a Computer Science major at CSUMB and this is my blog post. Enjoy! :) Archives
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