I hear a lot of talk about companies getting hold of lots of data and information from your devices when you go onto certain websites, but what does that actually mean? What information are they getting and how is this bad for me and good for them?
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There’s a spectrum of abilities your digital data can enable, some of which are more abusive than others.
On the mundane side, they can target ads for consumer goods you’re more likely to be interested in.
Or they could target drugs/supplements to you based on a guess about your medical condition.
Or predatory financial products based on guesses about your level of debt.
Or gambling opportunities based on historical behavior despite your desire to stop.
Or a scam based on how likely you are to be fooled.
Or a political message that’s more likely to resonate with you.
Or put you on a government watchlist as someone who’s more likely to sympathize with a radical group, an oppressed minority group, or an opposition party.
Or (in some countries), map out where you probably live, who you hang out with, and the most efficient way to arrest you.
For a lot of these, we rely on large tech companies like Google to police themselves. Legal protections are still immature in this area, and in some regimes, the law slants heavily toward informing the government vs. protecting individuals.
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