Your Data and What It's Used For
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- November 2020
When the internet first began to flourish, data such as how fast a user types and the types of spelling errors they make were viewed as a useless surplus of information, but nowadays that kind of information is valuable and is used to create user models like the look-alike models we discuss below. In this section, we cover a few important internet data collection methods that are prevalent today.
Cookies
Cookies may sound like a harmless, sweet treat, but in the context of the Web, they can be quite sinister. There are two kinds of cookies - session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies are the “good” cookies. They are what allow you to jump page to page within a website, storing information only for the duration of your session. Persistent cookies can be good, but their purpose can also be nefarious. These cookies are placed on your computer and track your browsing history. This data can be used to optimize your experience, but it’s also used by advertisers and sometimes even law enforcement. Remember - always clear your cookies!
Look-Alike Models
Look-alike modeling is a valuable tool for advertisers. The way these models are created are by gathering your data - where you live, how old you are, your gender, your sexual orientation, etc. This data is then used to create a “look-alike model” of you in order to better predict your future behavior. This is useful for advertisers to better sell you products, but we enter a sticky situation when these models are used to direct your behavior in a certain way. Another potential danger of look-alike modeling comes about when we think of how our models can be used against us by a landlord, potential employer, or bank.
Browser Fingerprints
Browser fingerprinting is basically what it sounds like - a unique ID used to identify your browser, your computer, and you. It’s often called the “cookieless monster” and with just a little bit of Javascript code, developers can find out your screen resolution, web browser, operating system, device type, and even the make and model of your device. These are just a few of the things that can be collected to create your browser fingerprint, but unfortunately for us it often goes much deeper than that. The combination of these little bits of information creates your browser fingerprint - just another way for you to be tracked, analyzed, bought, and sold.
