Data Tracking Caveat

Perhaps today's most significant concern is the loss of privacy data tracking creates. While an intelligent web provides many benefits, it does come at a cost. Tracking can involve a user's history which can be used to determine location, interests, purchases, employment status, sexual orientation, financial challenges, medical conditions, and more. Not only is this information about the user available, but it can be identified to the exact user.[2] Every click a user makes on social media is just more information fed to a tracking company to help them build a more accurate profile of that specific user.[1]

The harm may not yet be seen, but imagine the possibility of a hacker gaining access to these tracking companies, and either publicizing or collecting user's personal data.[2] While many companies claim to protect their customers' data through quality control, more than a quarter said they couldn’t remember the last time they performed quality control on their customer data. [3]

Two examples of Data tracking that can be seen as both a caveat and/or benefit are Net Neutrality and Filter Bubbles.

Another significant caveat data tracking creates, deals with what the information about you can determine. Depending on all your searches, the people you state are your family on Facebook, and more that your health risks can be determined. Now imagine a healthcare company pays for this information to determine individuals' risks. The company can now charge more towards higher risk people and less towards the healthier. This means for simply being born, you could have to pay more for health care than someone who has "healthier" lineage.

Related Topics: Data Tracking | Privacy | History | Personal Experiences

Resources
[1] Acohido, B. (2011, August 04). Web tracking has become a privacy time bomb. Retrieved March 28, 2017, from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-08-03-internet-tracking-mobile-privacy_n.htm

[2] Mayer, J. R., & Mitchell, J. C. (2012). Third-Party Web Tracking: Policy and Technology. 2012 IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy. doi:10.1109/sp.2012.47

[3] Strickland, J. (2013, February 08). Data Tracking: A Double-Edged Sword?Retrieved March 28, 2017, from http://www.inc.com/julie-strickland/data-online-consumers-marketers-.html