My short video documenting how I played around with Facebook ads fell foul to YouTube's algorithm managing spam and scams😆. You can see the video by clicking on the link. I HAVE APPEALED THIS TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE👊😋 #mscedc https://t.co/9zsHKExoRQ pic.twitter.com/Gj8pGs6SuU
— Sean Flower (@SeanFlower3) March 13, 2020
from Twitter https://twitter.com/SeanFlower3
March 13, 2020 at 01:01PM
via IFTTT
What a fascinating exploration, Sean, and a sobering look into how Facebook and others are sharing/matching our personal information in pursuit of profit!
Remembering how many terms and conditions I’ve accepted (without reading) over the years makes me slightly terrified to check my own Facebook advertising settings… all in pursuit of convenience, or to connect with someone, or because I would be (or feel) excluded if I didn’t sign up to one service or another. I know it would take so much time and complexity to “undo” or “remove” all that data from the various services (if it’s even possible in all those cases) that it’s pretty much unthinkable for me, yet your artefact brought to the fore the extent that others may be taking advantage (and what I might be sacrificing).
This is ever more relevant for us, given Facebook’s foray into education and ‘personalized learning platforms’…
https://codeactsineducation.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/reengineering-education/
…although there are signs of resistance…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2018/12/20/why-parents-students-are-protesting-an-online-learning-program-backed-by-mark-zuckerberg-facebook/
Ironically, the above link required me to accept another set of terms and conditions, so I’ve found an alternative…
https://nypost.com/2018/11/10/brooklyn-students-hold-walkout-in-protest-of-facebook-designed-online-program/
You mention you were shocked in browsing which firms had shared your data – do you feel your privacy was compromised and did you feel you had originally given meaningful/informed consent for this to happen?
Great artefact – really raises lots of relevant questions!
Thank you so much for the feedback and for sharing the links. I was interested in how the students’ concerns centred mainly on the look and feel of the software and not so much questioning of the motives that drive the investors. I wouldn’t say that I felt my privacy was compromised but it certainly made me question how often over the years I’ve clicked a checkbox to accept something and whether I’d be missing out much in life if I hadn’t signed up for those various services. Maybe it’s time to embrace JOMO a bit more in the digital world! Thanks again.
Hey Sean,
I liked your video a lot. It was really cool to see how fast you got a response all over the internet. Surprising about Amazon though, not responding to your activity.
How do you think this could be applied in education? I think a lot about the idea of “giving the customer what they want before they know they want it” concept and how ads might be used in the future to push teaching subjects in a way. Did you like the fall of Rome? You are going to love the Revolutionary War. Or something to that effect.
It was a good idea to clear your history, to bring a faster response time.
Good work over all!
Monica
Very funny! And scary at the same time! Nothing is private on the internet and we need to be mindful that companies profit from our behaviour all the time.
Hi Sean,
I hope you enjoy the book, ha ha! Although seeing as Amazon is de-prioritising non medical supplies, you could be a while waiting! I was interested to see the speed with which facebook updated your feed. In his artefact, David did a study on Soundcloud, and noted that his tweaking of the songs that he ‘liked’ and played, did not result in a significant change in the initial reaction of the recommender system. The conclusion was that the recommender systems are only as powerful as their connections to big players, big companies who have big marketing machines. Many recommender systems are still being tweaked by humans, not machines- it depends on the company’s budget and ability to pay for complex code and adaptive algorithms. Smaller companies depend on their employees to tweak the recommendations. . No surprise that that the giants that are facebook and google reacted quickest.