"All those Facebook 'likes', Twitter posts, Google searches and downloaded Apps improve our lives in so many ways. But they're watching us. A gold mine of personal information is returned to corporations and governments that shows what we buy, where we travel and even how healthy we are." - Anna Maria Tremonti on The Current, CBC.
This is an except from an interesting talk on CBC Radio today about the hazards of technology in the realm of big data and privacy. I"m glad CBC talked about it and especially, that they got Tom Keenan, a computer scientist and a professor in the Faculty of Environmental Design at University of Alberta to share safety tips.
Tom has recently authored Technocreep: The Surrender of Privacy and the Capitalization of Intimacy. The books describes how increasingly open access to big data is revolutionizing and redefining privacy and intimacy in the marketplace. Any one who is into social media, marketing, CRM, data collection or analysis, is aware of the creepiness of technology. Whatever you like or tweet is out there for everyone, including those who want to know what you like or don't.
Most of us would love to share information about our whereabouts on Foursquare or Facebook. I do it all the time. And yet, little do I realize that some machine somewhere is recording all of that, just so they can market better-suited products and services to me. This is not so bad. But what if you are at a bar hoping for anonymity. A Russian-made iPhone app "Girls Around Me" can happily announce your presence to others around you who can then look up your FB profile to know more about you ( depending upon how much of information is publicly available). Softwares like Spokeo can conveniently collect and correlate all the information available online within minutes. Just so when you check in into a hotel, don't be surprised to see your favourite brands for toiletries welcoming you in the shower. There are a million and one uses of big data, and we just don't know where does it end. Or, does it at all?
An excerpt from the book:
Image CreepThis is hilarious!
I saw Google Glass before it was even a twinkle in Eric Schmidt’s eye.
As a technology writer and reviewer, I was sent demo versions of all sorts of products, including some that never made it to market. In the mid 1980s, a package arrived with one of the first heads up television displays aimed at the consumer market. It was set of glasses with a tiny monitor and a prism that allowed you to watch TV while still participating in normal life.
The device, now consigned to the tech dustbin, did give me one moment of profound technocreepiness. I was testing it one night in my university office, using it to watch Sixty Minutes. The cleaning lady came in to empty the trash. I will never forget what happened next. I saw a chimera—an elderly lady’s body with Mike Wallace’s head grafted on top. I screamed. She screamed. It seemed like a dumb way to watch TV, so I sent the thing back and wrote a lukewarm review: it was also extremely uncomfortable to wear.
The introduction of Google Glass has brought this type of technology literally to the public’s eye. All of sudden, people are walking around with a device that enhances their ability to grab information out of the ether. Google Glass wearers can potentially recognize your face as they shake your hand, and then casually glance upwards to retrieve your kids’ names and birthdays.
But what really alarms many is that Google Glass can also secretly take a picture, or record a video, and immediately upload it to the Internet, just by the wink of an eye or the raising of an eyebrow. Google Glass does have a light to indicate when it is taking a photo or recording video. People promptly found ways to subvert it.
Tom Keenan has offered some tips for the safety-conscious which I'll briefly share below:
- Multiple Email addresses: It's a good idea to use secondary email addresses to share with companies that are looking for consumer information.
- Delete Browsing History: Routine deletion of browsing history helps safeguard your information specially if you are using a public computer. Many internet companies like Google use browsing history information to track your online habits to enable user-focused adverting.
- Use 2-Step Verification: Passwords are the necessary evil. Keep them secure, and use the 2-step verification process offered by most online services. Every step in this direction counts.
- Social Media Sharing: It is fun and easy to post information and pictures on social media. But think before sharing any information. Who is reading it and how could it be used? Is your data being traded? Ensure that you read policies of any platform you joining and participating. And, follow privacy guidelines.
- Report Issues: If you notice any issues, don't ignore. Report it to the service provider, as well as to relevant law-enforcement authorities.
Are you aware of CASL? Learn more and stay safe.
To listen to the talk,visit http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/podcasts/current/
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