I was online the other day looking for a swimsuit for my wife, we didn't find one but we looked at quite a few designs and she couldn't decide on a certain type. After we were done she went outside and I continued on to a few science sites I like to frequent. While I'm browsing through articles, a pop up of a woman's swimsuit advertisement pops up on my screen of the same type of suit we were looking at a few minutes ago.
It's an unnerving feeling knowing that there is an artificial intelligence robot monitoring my every keystroke and recording that data to be used against me on a later date. Sure it's pretty harmless right now with pop ups of things I have looked to buy in the past but where is this technology going to be in the future?
This technology is getting worse and being used in different
applications right now. There is a facial recognition camera in a few
malls in the world that track which stores you shop at, then, while
walking down the hallways, a TV billboard will post an advertisement to
you and the ad will be related to one of the stores you shop at.
Another
concerning ad I have noticed is the ad that seemingly knows of your
location. A Dating advertisement will occasionally pop up on my
computer screen stating that a girl in my town is interested in me.
Knowing what area I live in is really unnerving.
We all deserve, at the least, a bit of personal privacy. It should be our decision if we want that information to be public knowledge, especially if we have to pay a fee for the use of a service.
We all have to pay for internet services and data plans. Doesn't that fact give us the right for a little privacy? If the internet were absolutely free then I can understand that they would monitor your every move in an attempt at target advertising.
I could opt in for a VPN (virtual private network) where it bounces my
router address across the globe by frequently changing its number. A.I.
Bots can't pinpoint your location, but that's another expense I don't
really want to have shell out for. I don't have anything to hide anyway
so for now I will have to put up with feeling uneasy about the tracker.
Scott Goerz
