How can advertisers knowing my information and tracking me to better serve me ads cause me personal harm or injury?
In: Technology
Personalized ads seem like a Good Thing™, right? I mean, you’d rather see an ad that’s relevant to you than one for something you don’t care about.
But it all comes down to trust. Do you trust that the advertising network that you’re giving your data to will (a) protect that information and (b) use that information responsibly.
If they fail to protect your information (allow their systems to be hacked, etc.), the information about you could fall into the hands of people who want to do something more malicious than sell you fancy shoes or overpriced jeans.
Or they might use that information irresponsibly to make more money themselves. A social network might feed you content that is erroneous or factually wrong because it knows that content will keep you engaged with their platform. (Remember, social networks are advertising platforms; they sell *you* to the advertisers. The content is just there to make sure you stick around to see the ads.)
Latest Answers