Readers' advisory on steroids

My friend Mary recently wrote on Facebook:

This is a little freaky. Earlier I was just thinking - thinking mind you, not talking about it or Googling, that it might be a good idea for me to get an office chair for working at home. And what appeared on my Facebook feed? An ad for office chairs. Maybe the chip implant that comes with your COVID vaccine is really a thing.

 It does often feel Facebook and targeted ads on other websites are prescient (see What Makes Them Think I Need This?) and makes one wonder if the computer camera is not not just turned on all the time, but someone is listening to your conversations and reading your mind. (Hence the quote above.) But I have also recognized the positive side of data sharing and quoted Scott Adams in this post:

• Maybe you shared your medical history with your doctor and that allowed him to treat you more effectively.
• Maybe you put your personal information on an online dating service and it helped you find the love of your life.
• Maybe you showed your past tax returns to your bank and it helped you secure a mortgage to your dream house.
• Maybe you were secretly gay or lesbian and it was a huge relief when you came out.
• Maybe you installed a device on your car that allows your insurance company to track your driving history in return for lower rates.
• Maybe you enjoy sharing your life on Facebook.
• Maybe Google tracked your search history and later served up an ad that was exactly what you were looking for.
• Maybe your favorite airline gave you a free upgrade because they know you fly with them often.
• Maybe you put your work history on LinkedIn and someone offered you a job.

One of the services librarians provide is "readers' advisory" -  helping patrons find new books they might enjoy reading. It was something I happily did as a school librarian. Not only did finding kids books they liked to read make them happier and more engaged,  it made them better readers since they read more. But in order to do a good job of finding the next great book, one had to know something about the reader's personal interests, often starting with the question "What have you read recently that you've enjoyed." Sharing this "private" information had a positive result.

I've looked at targeted advertising as a sort of readers' advisory on steroids. Amazon certainly knows my purchasing history and is always ready with information about books that are similar to those I've read and new books by authors I enjoy. Netflix knows my viewing history and suggests (rather poorly, I think) other movies I may want to view. And as Mary in the quote above states, Facebook is more than happy to throw in a whole bunch of ads every time I open the site - and every now and then sucker me into actually clicking on the link for a new piece of luggage or an intriguing pair of hiking pants. (On Facebook's bad days, it thinks I am a cross-dressing lacrosse player with a new baby.)

It's extremely important that while online, we are proactive about data sharing. Here's an updated list of things I think about when online:

• Ask if there are positives in sharing information with others (no Trump campaign ads in my Facebook feed).
• Understand how to control in social media apps what data is shared and with whom. Check the settings regularly.
• Adopt reasonable safeguards in schools and other institutions to protect unauthorized use of personal information (with the operative word being reasonable.)
• Learn that there are some really stupid things that people do which can lead to identity theft. 
• Realize that if one wishes to commit an illegal or immoral act using social media, the chances of getting discovered are pretty damn good. As they should be.

I have challenged uber-privacy advocates to share examples from your their law-abiding lives in which shared data created a lasting problem for them. So far, no takers.

Excuse me while go back and look at the ad for the latest Mazda in my Facebook feed... Oh, and Mary, be sure to recharge your implanted chip now and then

Other related posts:

Eggar's The Circle - Google as Big Brother

Google Knows What You Are Looking For - So What?

What Makes Them Think I Need This?

Readers' Advisory and On-line Privacy