Personal privacy under Large data

Jenny Vitsi (Janet Vertesi) is an associate professor of sociology at Princeton University. She always had the idea that if she was pregnant, would she be able to keep the big data from noticing? The idea is that she specializes in the relationship between users and information technology. She believes that pregnant women are, commercially speaking, a "gold mine" with great potential for development. To quantify, the value of the various marketing data that the pregnant woman digs out is 15 times times higher than the average person. So large data on pregnant women's information, will crawl very sharp and timely. Now, she wants to challenge big data monitoring capabilities! It turned out that she had failed. The conclusion is that it is extremely inconvenient and costly to avoid the insights of large data. Veidt does not recommend anyone to do so. Technology companies have all said: If users are uncomfortable with the current privacy policy, then you can go around. That's obviously not the thing. Vitsi recently accepted our interview, talked about her experiments, the meaning behind the experiment, and why avoiding large numbers makes you look like a sneaky criminal.

Q: How did you come up with such an eccentric experiment? What do you do to conceal your pregnancy from big data?

A: I read an article in the New York Times last year that target is predicting a girl's pregnancy by using big data analysis, such as information collection on various consumer habits. (Note: Target department store, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is America's second-largest retail department after Wal-Mart) and that's a big shock to me. I know there are all kinds of privacy tools on the Internet, all sorts of tracking and positioning, but I didn't think the big data from these bits and pieces of information could be so tightly applied to the retail industry. I want to know how much it affects each individual. I know this is the trend of information society, there is no way to block. Doing such an experiment just trying to figure out how I can bypass all the big data. Can I do all this?

Q: Did you get bogged down in social media at the beginning of this experiment? You're the kind of Instagram that you give to a little bit of praise? Or is it just a courtesy to wish someone a happy birthday on Facebook?

A: From the time Facebook first opened the test, I started to mix it up, and it's been almost 10 years. Two years ago, Google changed the user privacy policy, because I refused to use all of Google's products, there was a time I was firm Google Black. For many people, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter offer services, it can be said that I am not happy with the flashing far. But if it's a job search, LinkedIn is a platform for you to expand your career. For me, the social interaction of my colleagues on Facebook is an important part of my research in the field of sociology. So it's almost impossible to get out of these social networks.

Q: What do you do about getting pregnant and escaping the big data experiment?

A: First of all, my husband and I decided to rein in our mouths in any social media. We also ask friends and family not to say. It's not a matter of your own, sometimes when your friends say something, and whether or not they're talking about you or labeling you, it's possible to divulge the fact of being pregnant. So I explained to everyone around me what I had done and said that we were happy about the pregnancy, but please don't put it on the web, especially on Facebook, because the social platform is full of data collection, personal privacy violations. We buy all baby-related items online, all through Tor (the online Router). (Note: Tor is an implementation of the second-generation onion routing, where users can communicate anonymously on the internet via Tor.) The project was originally sponsored by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Many people asked me if I downloaded the ad Blocker plugin (a tool to block Internet advertising). Because of this plugin, I don't know how much the internet really knows me. When I am surfing the Internet, dealing with other things that are not at all related to pregnancy, use the common browser, but once it comes to pregnancy, I use the browser without leaving traces. If you can buy something in cash, we'll settle it in cash. Some online shopping is done via Amazon. We registered a new number, and the address below this number is not our address, but a register in Manhattan. Amazon's gift cards are all there when we pay in cash. All the efforts we have made are to draw clear lines on and off line.

Q: Using Tor to buy baby supplies sounds lovely. Because normally I hear Tor's use, it's all about drug traffickers, or people are doing some illegal trading with Bitcoin. What do you think about that?

A: The Tor tool is really amazing, it makes me think of the beginning of the internet era. There is no endless stream of tools and websites to spy on your privacy in that long time, and they won't know who you are and what you are doing. The Tor tool is really important in terms of privacy protection. It gives me a sense of security. It sounds interesting to mention that Tor makes people think about the darker side of the Internet.

Q: Is it difficult to conceal pregnancy in the face of large data?

A: It's too hard! I never thought it would be so difficult. And doing so will be very unrealistic and cause too much inconvenience to your life. First 1th, your cost of living goes up. With cash to pay, there is no way to enjoy all kinds of people jealous of the discount. 2nd, you will be very restless on social platforms. Because as long as you exist on the social platform, there is a sense of concern and existence. You are worried that one day someone on your message board wrote a: "You are pregnant really good, bless!" "In that case. As soon as you write, your entire privacy work is completely bankrupt. With such misgivings, I was trembling on the social platform and dared not say a word more. 3rd, The Secret way of life will eventually lead to greater trouble for themselves. What ordinary people use Tor to surf the internet all day? Any transactions are settled in cash? This abnormal state of life will soon be noticed by law enforcement agencies. Fortunately, so far no police have knocked on my door. This extremely covert lifestyle really brings in all sorts of trouble, so I don't suggest you follow me, I'm just doing an experiment.

Q: How did your family and friends react to the experiment?

A: None of them feel strange, but in the process, they clearly understand the requirements I put forward. For example, I said not to put my pregnancy message on Facebook, but my friends and relatives would still disclose my message in online conversations. Apparently, they don't think that online gossip can be called "Facebook" on weekdays. Then you will find that you are moving, even if you do not move, and as long as your network is built on the platform, you are tracked, analyzed, and then the results are provided to advertisers. How dare you guarantee that the conversation won't be recorded?

Q: You said you quit the Google product two years ago, can you give us a concrete talk about what happened?

A: Google will read your emails, read your chat messages, and it knows what you are searching for. Whether you are asleep or awake, it is watching you. From a business point of view, the server keeps track of your behavior. Google has recently updated its customer privacy policy and has made it clear that it will read your emails and chats so that you can better push the ads to your point. Of course I know I can't change it. This has become a part of social life. I can only choose to give up any of Google's products to express my dissatisfaction, is a protest bar.

Q: How do you protect your privacy on weekdays?

A: I like DuckDuckGo. This is a great search engine. The longer you use it, the more features you will find. In fact, the fundamental rule of privacy protection is that you want to spread your behavior across a variety of servers, and the data on those servers will not be aggregated. So I also use Bing maps, Apple maps and OpenStreetMap. I know they all track users, record user information, but they don't see each other and don't share user information, so when you use the more diverse servers, the better the privacy protection work.

In fact, you will find it very interesting to observe such a phenomenon. Google and Facebook read your chat content and email content, and the NSA has been exposed by the media to a number of violations of personal privacy. But people face these two things in a very different manner. It's interesting to explore the causes. People have a crush on Google because of Google's ever-changing doodle logo, a lunchtime pastime, and the so-called "do not be evil" creed. And people hate the NSA because it's a government organization that infringes personal privacy. The same is a violation of privacy, just because one is a company is the government, it leads to a very different attitude, this normal? Actually I don't think these internet companies are demons. In fact, I have a lot of friends working at Google and Facebook. But they have to admit that they are doing a great job of publicity, both internally and externally. For example, Google's slogan of "Don't be evil", such as the one you have to share life with others at any time. These statements are very persuasive. Yes, who wants to be an isolated person who refuses to share? But are the ideas that stand on the commanding heights really right for everyone? As a sociology professor of Internet technology, I am constantly analyzing philosophy under the technical level.

Q: Do you really think that all of our information exchanges cannot escape the monitoring of large data? Are most of us still unaware of the problem?

A: I am convinced that these information technology companies will do this simply because the servers are built for business and it is their job to remember all your actions. Companies are relying on these data to make money, by analyzing who you are and who you are. This is the work of the server. Most people only care about what kind of service they can enjoy. What you see is the communication between users, but forget the bottom design under the communication!

Q: Can anyone avoid big data for life? As you did in the experiment?

A: My experience tells me that it is possible. But it's never easy. You need to sacrifice a lot of things, but also need some technical means. So back to the topic, I don't think it's wise for everyone to dodge Big data. In fact, I don't think it's as simple as turning the switch on or off, it's not black and white. I did this experiment just to see how deep I got into the internet. Realistically speaking, I do not advise you to avoid large data so deliberately. What I want to tell you most is that you should look carefully at the Internet services and products you enjoy. What benefits do these daily products bring to you? A dispensable pastime? Or is it an essential tool in your life? You need to be responsible for yourself, and in order to enjoy these services, you need to consider the extent to which you can accept the sacrifices you have made to make appropriate privacy. These are the issues you have to consider.

Q: What is your outlook for the future? Will we be completely caught up in a world dominated by big corporations and big governments, as described in the hunger game?

A: I don't think it's that pessimistic. I think it's a turning point now. There are already enough people who have a lot of attention to privacy. This will lead to new technologies that invest in new Internet models dedicated to protecting users ' privacy. We need to seriously consider other profit models. Can money only rely purely on user privacy data collection this way? I'm sure we can release more possibilities on the Internet platform. This is my best hope.

Source: thinkprogress.org

(Responsible editor: Meng)