In March of 2018, the world of social media and security collided as the Cambridge Analytica scandal broke out. When Facebook illegally sent millions of user’s information to a political data-analytics firm (Cambridge Analytica), political campaigns were able to charge themselves towards different groups of people on social media. As expected, there was a pretty good amount of public outrage as a result of this scandal and social media hasn’t been the same since.
While most people associate data collection with Facebook or with Google, it’s pretty important to understand that most first-party apps are also collecting their users’ data.
The dating app Bumble is a great example of how first-party apps collect data. While most college students know Bumble from its extravagant advertising and its popularity, there is more to this app than finding ~virtual romance~.
First of all, Bumble collects a good amount of data just from their app. Bumble knows who you are, where you are, how old you are, your sexual preference, what you look like, and sometimes where you go to school or work. This about covers it all, right?
No, it doesn’t. Bumble can take its data collection even further through third-party apps and accounts. When users sign up, Bumble gives them the option to connect to their accounts on Facebook, Google, Apple, Twitter, etc. In this case, these accounts are known as third-party apps. By connecting to these apps, Bumble now has loads of information on their users that can go much further than the information previously listed.
So, what is the point of all this? For most apps and media sources, the economic incentive behind data collection is to market to a user’s demographics directly. For example, Bumble can use the information they have to send out specific ads to users as they swipe through. The company that pays Bumble to prompt their ads wants a specific clientele, and through data collections, Bumble can provide that. This gives apps and media sources the power to take data, and sell it. These direct and convoluted advertisements essentially cheat for different companies and apps.
On the other hand, the user is also affected by data collection. Whether its an ad for a new car or a political post, we have all been affected by data collection in one form of media or another. While these ads are sometimes helpful (i.e. when you finally find that perfect white t-shirt from an Instagram ad), there are many times when these ads are unwanted/ hurtful. This is exactly why Facebook and Cambridge Analytica were under so much fire. Because of the way that certain advertisements or posts have the power to influence our opinions, social media users must understand the right to privacy. Although these rights are weak in the world of social media, they still exist and must be taken more seriously. By implementing new laws regarding clarity and self-protection, we may be able to find a balance between over/under data collection.
Finally, our society must take action toward the over-collection of personal data. We need to address the question of how far is too far when it comes to personal information stored in media sources.
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