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How is our data used against us?

By: Lauren, Matthew, & Sam

What is an algorithm?

"a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer"

Algorithms

What are algorithms used for?

When do we use algorithms?

Algorithms are involved in virtually every aspect of the internet

From Google searches to Spotify music suggestions, algorithms attempt to find relevant information for users

How do algorithms benefit us?

  • Give relevant information
  • Narrow search results
  • Bring us to popular or trending information

How do algorithms benefit us?

Misconceptions about algorithms

  • They give the most accurate information first
  • They are neutral in the results they show
  • They remove human bias from media consumption

Misconceptions about algorithms

Cookies: What are they?

Short summary: Cookies are small sized strings of text that websites use to track you coming and going from the website so that they remember where you left off.

Cookies

https://www.relationshipone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Internet-Cookies-Blog.jpg

Potential concerns

Some third party cookies that are made specifically to track your browsing habits have raised many questions asking if it is ethical to use cookies in that way.

A little deeper

https://i0.wp.com/digiday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cookie-1-1.jpg?resize=1440%2C600&ssl=1

EU web cookies directive

The EU web cookies directive ensures that users are well informed of the purpose of the web cookies that are trying to track them, specifics on what they will be used for and why.

The EU's response

https://webcookies.org/doc/eu-web-cookies-directive

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Flag_of_Europe.svg/1200px-Flag_of_Europe.svg.png

A real life example

internet cookies and algorithms come together in the form of internet advertising

Everything in Action

https://2jd0z2gsu3u3ifeoa1tjdk01-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ComputerSocialIcons.png

Advertising

Every time you go to a web-page there is an "auction" in the background that decided what ads were shown to you and the advertiser sets a maximum they will pay for the ad space.

How Advertising Works

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fiercewireless.com%2Fregulatory%2Ffcc-mmwave-auction-brings-more-than-7-5b-as-clock-phase-ends&psig=AOvVaw1O8DwUVuCYcAhTgvyJpnNh&ust=1585760221817000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNCei6uXxegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

How they know who to advertise to?

Who they advertise to

Cookies in your browser can tell a lot about your demographic based on what pages you visit and that information is provided to the advertising companies which factors into the price they will pay to advertise to you.

https://www.dmnews.com/customer-experience/news/13059564/parks-associates-rtb-will-change-online-display-advertising

https://www.blairwarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/how-do-you-know.jpg

Not everyone is created equal

Different demographics have different advertising costs, girls are valued higher because they interact with advertisements more than boys.

Prized Demographics

https://3spxpi1radr22mzge33bla91-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-978540504-1024x591.jpg

“Algorithmic Bias? An Empirical Study of Apparent Gender-Based Discrimination in the Display of STEM Career Ads.” Management Science 65, no. 7 (n.d.): 2966–81. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3093.

Girls get fewer stem ads?

I found an article that showed evidence of girls receiving fewer stem ads than boys, the main reason that girls are more expensive to advertise to.

Girls get fewer stem ads?

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HKJFESU7hqE/maxresdefault.jpg

“Algorithmic Bias? An Empirical Study of Apparent Gender-Based Discrimination in the Display of STEM Career Ads.” Management Science 65, no. 7 (n.d.): 2966–81. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3093.

Search Neutrality

Search neutrality is an idea that "the principle that search engines should have no editorial policies other than that their results be comprehensive, impartial and based solely on relevance."

Search Neutrality

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/opinion/28raff.html

https://hackernoon.com/hn-images/1*YxFA0VpzNg43UfTnuDLqOQ.jpeg

Foundem

Foundem was a price comparing company that was very similar to Google's similar service Google Shopping, Foundem accused Google of intentionally lowering Foundem on search results.

Foundem

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/fine-google-competition-eu-shivaun-adam-raff

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/715176494943903744/scvduSAy_400x400.jpg

Is this ok?

If search engines are meant to be a safe harbor of unbiased information, then this is a clear conflict of interests.

But these search engines are private companies and they might have goals that are not purely altruistic in their intentions.

Is this ok?

https://www.premierchristianradio.com/var/ezdemo_site/storage/images/media/images/christianity-magazine/august-2013/yes-or-no-global-main/309462-2-eng-GB/Yes-Or-No-Global-Main_article_image.jpg

How are our data is being tracked?

Our data are always simultaneously being tracked whenever our hand-held technologies are turned on.

App Tracking

Little did we know that there are companies out there who have placed tiny software into our phones, including apps that allows them to quietly collect data about you.

Our lives is practically an open book in the technology world. These people can track where we go virtually and view our daily schedules of our daily lives.

How?

Why?

Although, having our data being tracked and collected invades our privacy, sometimes it is also necessary because this prevents major problems from happening.

However, there should be a certain degree where data collection should stop because not everything should be collected about our lives.

Though National Security is an important aspect, every individual should always have their privacy as mentioned in the amendments.

Targeted Advertising

Online ads are becoming increasingly targeted and persistent. Tracking technologies like web cookies are collecting information about our browsing activities from site to site.

Targeted Advertisements for Specific People

Why are ads stalking me?

Why?

Ad companies who have trackers can tell if you are interested in buying something. They look for signals — like if you closed the browser after looking at the something for awhile or left the item in the site’s shopping cart without completing the purchase. From there, the ad tech companies can follow your cookie through trackers and ad networks on various sites and apps to serve you an ad for the item. It is all part of a marketing scheme that companies hire marketing agents to do.

Racial Discrimination in Online Ad Delivery

Discrimination In Online Ad Delivery

  • Study by Harvard University
  • Found that search results for racially associated names gave different advertisements for personal records websites
  • The wording of the ads varied depending on the names
  • Words "arrested?" and "arrest records" appeared more often for black identifying names than for white identifying names

What does it mean?

Conclusion

Internet Algorithms use our data to attempt to give relevant information that is tailored to us.

While this can make our lives easier and our results helpful, their may be bias in the information we are being presented.

Many people believe these systems are neutral, but those who create the algorithms need to insure they do not program in bias.

Looking ahead

A lot of these problems do not have clear cut solutions, but the first step to solving problems is identifying them and raising awareness. With this knowledge we can move forward to try and eliminate these biases from the technology we are increasingly reliant on.

Sources

Works Cited

• https://www.relationshipone.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Internet-Cookies-Blog.jpg

• https://i0.wp.com/digiday.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cookie-1-1.jpg?resize=1440%2C600&ssl=1

• https://webcookies.org/doc/eu-web-cookies-directive

• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Flag_of_Europe.svg/1200px-Flag_of_Europe.svg.png

• https://2jd0z2gsu3u3ifeoa1tjdk01-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ComputerSocialIcons.png

• https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fiercewireless.com%2Fregulatory%2Ffcc-mmwave-auction-brings-more-than-7-5b-as-clock-phase-ends&psig=AOvVaw1O8DwUVuCYcAhTgvyJpnNh&ust=1585760221817000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNCei6uXxegCFQAAAAAdAAAAABA

• https://www.dmnews.com/customer-experience/news/13059564/parks-associates-rtb-will-change-online-display-advertising

• https://www.blairwarren.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/how-do-you-know.jpg

• “Algorithmic Bias? An Empirical Study of Apparent Gender-Based Discrimination in the Display of STEM Career Ads.” Management Science 65, no. 7 (n.d.): 2966–81. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3093.

• https://3spxpi1radr22mzge33bla91-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/iStock-978540504-1024x591.jpg

• https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HKJFESU7hqE/maxresdefault.jpg

• https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/opinion/28raff.html

• https://hackernoon.com/hn-images/1*YxFA0VpzNg43UfTnuDLqOQ.jpeg

• https://www.wired.co.uk/article/fine-google-competition-eu-shivaun-adam-raff

• https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/715176494943903744/scvduSAy_400x400.jpg

• https://www.premierchristianradio.com/var/ezdemo_site/storage/images/media/images/christianity-magazine/august-2013/yes-or-no-global-main/309462-2-eng-GB/Yes-Or-No-Global-Main_article_image.jpg

Bozdag, E. Bias in algorithmic filtering and personalization. Ethics Inf Technol 15, 209–227 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-013-9321-6

https://www.wired.com/story/the-real-reason-tech-struggles-with-algorithmic-bias/

https://www.brookings.edu/research/algorithmic-bias-detection-and-mitigation-best-practices-and-policies-to-reduce-consumer-harms/

https://arxiv.org/abs/1301.6822

https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/handle/1885/154629

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/15/technology/personaltech/stop-targeted-stalker-ads.html

https://www.theamericanconsumer.org/2016/06/targeted-ads-come-creepy-digital-stalking/

https://internethealthreport.org/2018/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-sides-of-data-tracking/

https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-personal-data-collection/

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