10/27: “We Know…” Response

In 2023, every website above a taken-for-granted level of sophistication will show you ads. As internet users in the digital age, we now understand that these ads are catered to us: they are tailored to search results on queries we input, the types of media we consume, and even our network’s social media posts and updates. They revolve around user input and are now a great source of revenue for host sites. These little buggers have a lot of appeal to them. In large part, they do an amazing task of keeping sites low/no cost for users, allowing a “free” sharing of information from website developers/operators and their clients. What is less obvious is the way that information is commodified and used as a selling token; host websites rely on user-given information to be able to sell ad space to potential customers, and that information is not so obviously taken. This can lead to an icky invasion-of-privacy feeling, in which users are shocked, stunned, or otherwise dumbfounded by how the computer knew just what type of compression sock they thought about buying. Additionally, this can boost consumerism and make users feel like they are constantly shopping (or, complementarily, being told to shop). Ethan Zuckerman’s quasi-accidental creation of the pop-up ad has opened doors to conversations of advertising as a service, data privacy and limitations, and user control while on the open web. An advertising revenue model can prove extremely beneficial to selling a product and has become increasingly popular recently. What is appealing about this model is that it can allow products to reach large user bases, match users with relevant ads/information (with the hope of hopping to a vendor’s page), and, more specifically, tailor adverts to users. Zuckerman laments that the pop-up ad normalized surveillance by later selling user data instead of just ad views. As the transcript states, this may have desensitized people to mass surveillance when revelations like Snowden’s came out. There are absolutely benefits in enabling relevant ads as a revenue source and consumer-catcher. But this business model requires balancing those against downsides like eroded privacy. Allotting users more transparency and control over their data might mitigate ethical issues promoted by excessive data tracking and collection.