I didn’t say that. But it is hard to worry about something that you cannot fathom.
OK. So you think your data is worthless. Let's have a look at that.
When you sign up somewhere, I've automatically got your name, maybe address - definitely general location, sex. That's going on a database.
That database can then be added to when you sign up for something else. Renter/Owner, salary band, occupation.
So now I know six things about you. I can use that information to then sement you into a target group. I can then sell that information to people who are looking for mid 40's males, who rent and work in a library, and who's hobbies include x, y and z.
And then we can add other things to that. Sexuality, policital allegiance, websites you visit, online games you play, who your friends and peers are and what they do. The colour of your hair. What you like to eat and drink. How often you go out. Now we're
really targettng you. I know 15-20 pieces of information about you. And that profile is gold. Why would a want to spend £x sending an advert to 2 million people when I can spend a hundredth of that targetting grumpy librarians who have red hair and who like loud shirts and have nephews and nieces and who live or work in the Leeds area? Here come the adverts for Gillette, Hawaiian shirts, Audible, etc.
The companies I sell that to can then bombard you with emails and social media with offers than might appeal to you. This is called Segmented Targeting.
And those Fun Apps that show what you would look like as a person of the opposite sex/animal /viking? They arent being produced for shits and giggles. Because they are being built as part of an AI development to see what you would look like with a disguise on, because they
always keep the eyes, nose, ears and lips the same. That info is able to identify people who could do something bad before (or after) they've done it.
If you think data is free then you are very very wrong. And this isn't conspiracy theory mad shit. 19 years working in online marketing has shown me that. And it's evolved faster over the last five years. Faster than I'm comfortable with.
And what should annoy you more than
anything is that any social profiling I've done on you right now, is only from the information off this site. And I've not even had to do a search. It's the data you voluntarily give up here. Hopefully, (and I'm sure is the case) Editor doesn't sell this info, so you're safe here, but surely you can see how easy it is to profile someone for whatever purposes they need because people think their data is worthless.
(this is 100000% not a dig at you mate, I'm just using you as a typical example because you offered up the info that you're not fussed about donating your personal information to business.)
Peace out, get a VPN, don't interact with social media.
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