Yes, Amazon’s a Stalker. So what?
Image courtesy of NBC News
By ANNA HAMBLET ‘22
It’s happened to everyone – you mention a product to your friend or search for something on Amazon, and next thing you know, your device is filled with ads for related items. It can seem somewhat disconcerting that your devices know you almost as well as you know yourself-- among many, data mining symbolizes the end of personal privacy and a shift towards dystopia. It should be well known that nothing we do on the internet is private, and that there are many dangers that come with our lack of privacy. In recent years, we have seen many examples of data collection gone wrong, particularly by widely-used companies such as Facebook, Target, and Uber. According to the Guardian, in just 2018, Cambridge Analytica acquired personal data from up to 87 million Facebook users; allegedly, they were paid to use the data for helping Ted Cruz’s and Donald Trump’s campaigns. Violating the privacy of an unconsenting user is violating our ethics.
But predictive analysis, also known as data mining, is simply the seeking out of useful information from data collected from us on the daily. According to this definition, keeping track of which line in Forbes moves faster and deciding, based on that data, to get in the fastest line, could be considered a very crude form of data mining. Companies use data mining and predictive analysis to cater to our needs more efficiently. Collecting and using information to our advantage is what humans have always done; according to Time Magazine, the American Institute of Public Opinion was founded in 1932. Today it is called the Gallup Poll and still commits itself to data analysis. Data mining is not new and it will not go away anytime soon. The scandals involved with data collection have overshadowed its everyday uses, but there are many. For all the mishandling of data that we have seen from high profile companies, we must recognize that our lives are made easier every day through data analysis.
Predictive analysis is not just how Google knows what ads might interest you, but also how your credit card company detects fraud and how your email filters spam. Although these services may make mistakes from time to time, for the most part, we cannot deny that data is useful when shared. So many staples of our lives depend on analysis of our data, such as Netflix, Gmail, and other services many Milton students use on a daily basis. The fear of data mining violations is not unfounded, but it’s worth it. The extensive knowledge our technology possesses of our needs may seem creepy and dystopia-esque, but it is necessary if we wish to keep our modern comforts. Every technological advance is a double edged sword as there will always be those with bad intentions, but in our society dependent on data, we must come to realize that data mining and the risks that come with it are worth the trouble. Our information will never be safe on the internet, so the sooner we learn to weigh the risks against the benefits, the better.