Technology has certainly streamlined the once time consuming process of researching products and checking prices before making a purchase. Shopping online and having purchases delivered to the front door has become the norm for many households. If you’re a savvy shopper, you know how to work the internet and you have the latest apps for shopping with your phone. You understand how important these tools are to get the widest selection and the best price. You may already know that you are providing online retailers a direct link to your location, your interests and buying habits. Retailers capture, store, and use that information to market similar products to you and your family. This is called inbound marketing and it’s been around for years, but now it involves much more than clicks with a mouse.
Even with the advent of the “Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights” in 2012, the average consumer has only a shadowy understanding of what personal information is being collected and how it is used. If you spend the time, you’ll be able to find a company’s online privacy policy, but the document will likely be lengthy and the disclosures will be vague at best. If you are like most people, you’ll scroll quickly to the bottom of the terms of use and click “accept” without reading the privacy policy or the privacy permission terms. After all, if you want the service, you must agree to their terms.
Whenever you download an app, or sign-up to be included in a “free” list or online service, you are giving permission to track your surfing habits in order to personalize future marketing strategies. You will receive ads designed to appeal to you. But with smart phones, you may also have unknowingly given them permission to assess your phone log information, your calendar, your voice commands, what services you install and uninstall, and your real-time physical location.
And if you sign-up for the latest email account, you’re likely giving them permission to link your account to various marketing partners and display your name, profile photo, and actions you take on that account, such as reviews you post using their product.
Industry leaders are eager to remind Internet users that their personal information is used to provide better services by tailoring ads to satisfy a searcher’s interests, to develop new tools and services, and to help keep the cost-free Internet search feature publicly available. Data collection and funneling makes your life easier because the system is designed to show you only the things you are likely to be interested in, and filters out things that have a slim chance of catching your eye. It saves you time and frustration.
That may be true, but there is a down side to online behavioral advertising.
You may not be terribly concerned about your privacy regarding your internet use. However, if you buy anything online, you can be impacted by the collection, cross sharing, and use of transaction data. Consumer concerns include the increased possibility of identity theft, analysis and tagging your behaviors and choices, even price setting based on location with the highest prices charged in affluent neighborhoods.
So, next time you’re scrolling through your email and social media sites, keep in mind that the ads you see were chosen especially for you. If you haven’t shown an internet interest in something new and different lately, you are limiting the ads shown to only what the online data systems are designed to show you. There are a lot of choices out there, so don’t limit yourself solely to what is offered by the well-connected online marketers.
Your smart phone will remind you that the product you showed an interest in is for sale at the store you are driving past. The music streaming service will offer you only the types of music you already listen to. Your choice or the data collectors’?
