Commodification Post
In terms of what would make a specific type of data the most valuable and marketable, I suppose it depends on what it’s going to be used for. As a millenial college student on social media, for me personally, I’d say my data that’s of most value would be how I use Facebook and how I interact with the interface and how I interact with other users —even how I interact with the media and content produced by other users. The data I generate on Facebook would be like the photos I post and my status updates— but I’d say what’s more important and more frequent would be the posts I I like and click on. I’m usually more likely to comment or click links that come from posts of specific people, so analyzing that pattern could be of use to different companies. If I could harness this data I generate, I could learn from my patterns and become more consciously aware of my online presence and what websites I’m more likely to click on or what media I’m most attracted to.
I think it’s a bit of a grey area in terms of my opinion concerning whether or not companies are justified in how they take data in exchange for commodities. Because honestly, I agree to sign my data away to Facebook by using their service and I don’t really have a say in what Facebook does once I agree to their Terms of Service Agreement. What they choose to do with that data and whom they choose to sell it to is out of my hands. I DO think most people don’t even think about this exchange of our data for commodities and become upset once it’s brought to their attention — but if they’re unaware, it’s an oversight on their own part.
The apps that have access to my personal information and my GPS location are probably the apps that get the most out of my electronic activity. My Wells Fargo app is how I access my bank account and check my debit balance (which I definitely wouldn’t want to be hacked). Also apps like the Pacer app or even GoogleMaps that use my location have access to my location 24/7 and what assessments can be made about me without my knowledge is quite concerning. The value of my data production probably depends on what I do or don’t do online.
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I agree with you. It is a “grey area” when it comes to our information and what we are willing to give away. There is a lot of truth to the statement, “Out of site, out of mind.” Unless someone is told and really cares about a company using their data without restriction, they have no right to get upset when it does happen. I’ve said it before and you say it here as well. You are making the decision to give up the right to your information the second you hit the accept button on the Terms and Conditions, so you really can’t argue about the way they use the information. If you didn’t want them to use it the way they do, then you should have read the terms of service.
I think it’s a bit unfair to say that people being unaware of what happens with their data is a bit unfair, especially since this is in many ways a new kind of economy that is rapidly changing and growing all the time. I know that I knew practically nothing about data collection before taking this class, and even though I think for the most part it is harmless (though suspicious by how shifting people go about it) I was still somewhat upset when I realized the depth of the problem.