From what I
observed from Facebook and Google, I was not very surprised with the content. I
was expecting a much more in-depth record of my search history, recent
purchases, old conversations from Facebook, and other detailed information.
Google’s list of what I tend to be interested in seemed to be a collection of
topics and trends I recently typed into the search bar. For example, the number
one result was “Oldies and Classic Rock.” Anyone who knows me will attest to
the fact that I am not an avid fan of this genre of music. Then how did this
end up at the top of the list? Two weeks ago I searched, “A Hard Day’s Night
opening chord,” in the Google search bar. At the beginning of this song by the
Beatles, an obscure, complex chord is struck before the melody begins. After
hearing this, I became interested in dissecting what instruments, notes, and
techniques were used to produce this sound. What started as curiosity quickly
turned into an hour-long search of multiple sources. As it turns out, what
makes up this chord has been debated since the very first time it was heard by
the public. In just one hour, I had searched and visited sites about the
Beatles music multiple times. As a result, the algorithm likely running the
Google search engine identified me as a person who enjoys “Oldies and Classic
Rock.” As it says on the Google information page, the list is generated “based
on the websites you’ve visited.” Also on the Google information site is another
category of interests that is generated, “from your previous searches.” In this
section, my top results were Athletic Apparel, Banking, and Bicycles and
Accessories. According to About Google Ads, Google generates a list of what a
user is interested in based on recent, previous searches related to your
current search, and Google Web History. Overall, I was not troubled or
surprised by any of the information Google had collected about me, and I do not
believe Google knows me very accurately. Their history records and algorithmic
targeting are not enough to have a realistic idea of who I am.
Facebook
was similar in that nothing in the information troubled or surprised me;
however, I was intrigued by the extent of the records Facebook had. Facebook
had records of all my relationship status changes, “likes,” and conversations.
The conversations that had been deleted by me were not available, but I now
understand what it means to “Archive” a conversation. Although the conversation
may vanish from the message bar, it is kept in the zip file of information that
can be accessed at any time. I find this to be interesting because there have
most likely been many court cases and legal disputes where these records were
accessed and used as evidence for cyber bullying, stalking, or harassment. The
availability of these records for this use is certainly a positive aspect of Facebook
keeping track of every users activity.
For now,
there is no reason to be concerned about the information Google and Facebook
keeps about their users. Sadly, the same cannot be said when it comes to the
American government.
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