The Digital Age When you browse online, do you know your privacy settings? How important is your personal information to you? When you shop online, visit a social networking site, or just search the web, information such as your purchasing habits, your demographic, and your interests are being collected for marketers. There are those consumers, like Nicholas Carr who wrote “Tracking is an Assault on Liberty,” who believe that online tracking is a real danger is today’s society. He believes that online privacy is just an illusion and that your information is being collected whether you want it to be or not. He argues that personal data that falls into the wrong hands can be devastating leading to financial fraud or identity theft. Then there …show more content…
Maybe it provided you with a new sale that is going on, or a new line of products. Well, it’s not at all random. Tracking allows marketers to target you directly based on your purchasing or browsing history. Search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing can then provide specific product suggestions that will likely be of interest to you. Let’s say you really enjoy your political debates and frequently search for the latest debates. The next time you are visiting a website you may see a news ad for the most recent debate. This can allow for a more customized online …show more content…
How many websites do you visit that provide you a free service? These apps and websites can remain available for free because of advertising. Advertisers purchase space on a website, or video space within an app. This keeps you from paying for services that you would normally pay for. Messaging services and apps like Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat are able to provide you with a free product because advertisers pay to have their product shown. It all comes down to online tracking. “If Web users supply less information to the Web, the Web will supply less information to them.” (Harper, 537) If an advertiser can target your specific interests then you are more likely to visit their websites or buy their products. This is the biggest payoff to online tracking. There are ways for you to protect yourself while enjoying your personalized