Our privacy is at risk and no one seems to care

The importance of privacy was brought back into the public eye last February when Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm from the UK, used the Facebook profiles of millions of users without their permission to attempt to sway the U.S presidential elections. It was estimated that 87 million people had their data compromised, although this number has never been confirmed. Facebook’s recent scandal puts into question if we really should be trusting our data with big companies that rely on advertising for much of their revenue.

Facebook is by all means not the only company. For instance, Google is one of the worlds largest advertising agencies and also has 75 percent of the world’s browser market share. I wonder; does Google have any obligation to keep our data locked away when nearly all of its revenue comes from advertising? 120 billion of Google’s total 171 billion dollars of revenue to be exact. 

This question was answered unceremoniously last week when I was browsing Google to purchase a product that I needed for school. Shortly later and voila! An ad pops up for the exact product when I was aimlessly scrolling on Instagram. I was flabbergasted and taken aback. But then I released that my Instagram was connected to my Google account, the same account I use for my browser. Google was clearly monitoring my search history so that they could advertise to me across various platforms.

To make matters more depressing this YouTuber proved that Google is even listening to you as you speak.

Amazon is a culprit too. Amazon acquired Ring Inc. for one billion dollars last February. Ring Inc. is a tech company specializing in home security and other smart home tech. They offer products like video doorbells and cameras that monitor your house. Amazon sells these doorbells alongside there very popular Alexa home speakers, ultimately attempting to create a smart home ecosystem for consumers. These always-on devices led me to research the privacy concerns that I had pertaining to consumer data. Officially, Amazon states in their terms and conditions that: they keep short clips of audio and video footage from their popular technology to further improve and develop the AI for future products.

Reports surfaced that Amazon has even hired a team to analyze Alexa’s audio that it collects from consumers. As it turns out Alexa actually secretly records and uploads the audio to the cloud automatically. This process is initiated when you use the wake-up word “Alexa”. When Alexa gets activated, the audio gets analyzed and from there it uploads the audio to Amazon’s cloud. It is on the cloud that Amazon has algorithms that analyze the speech to try to comprehend the consumer’s words. Then, Amazon can decide to whether keep this information or delete it. Amazon continues to claim that they keep some consumer data because it will improve Alexa’s “customer experience”.

Is it just me or is there an uncanny resemblance to George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel 1984. The fictional novel is set in a dystopian time where the authoritarian government monitors its citizens through constant surveillance in public and private areas. Essentially, the government can hear and watch you from anywhere. Sounds familiar, huh? In that society, individuals can be arrested on the basis of “thought crime” or thinking negative thoughts that the state deems as a crime. While obviously this bleak future hasn’t exactly happened yet, the technology seems to be here.

The internet and technology will continue to become more and more important and integrated with our lives. However, our greater reliance on technology and the internet though questions.

Should the government intervene to protect our data? Or is the government part of the problem? Who should be held accountable? How much of our privacy are we willing to give up for a little more convenience?  And more importantly how much of our liberty are we willing to give up? Is Big Brother watching? So many questions. Most of them still unanswered.

Sources

Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/12/24/is-google-advertising-revenue-70-80-or-90-of-alphabets-total-revenue/#6cf9afc04a01. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanbaptiste/2019/05/16/why-amazon-alexa-is-always-listening-to-your-conversations-analysis/#2dab1d682378.

Video is by the YouTuber Mitchollow : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoZWWgdgIyDuhjnu3qsTI0w

Cambridge Analytica photo By inc : https://www.inc.com/alyssa-satara/if-you-dont-fully-understand-cambridge-analytica-scandal-read-this-simplified-version.html

Graph by Visual Capitalist : https://www.visualcapitalist.com/dominance-google-and-facebook-one-chart/

Alexa, Ring inc., and, cloud, by photo by Amazon

1984 photo by George Orwell/Amazon

Instagram photo by The Verge : https://www.theverge.com/