Thursday January 25th, 2024
9:00 AM- As I’m waking up, I grab my iPhone and tap the screen, where it activates FaceID. My face is scanned to unlock my phone. Admittedly, I have never taken the time to read Apple’s Privacy Policy and my phone is set to automatically update when there’s a new software update available. It usually does this during the night.
After viewing the VPRO documentary with Shoshana Zuboff, I feel uneasy about how I allowed FaceID on my phone without reading any of the privacy policies or terms and conditions. As the documentary described, facial recognition data is being sold to third parties and in other countries such as China, it has been used to suppress people, like the Uyghurs.
9:10 AM- I check my personal AOL email and my ASU email to see if there’s anything that needs my immediate attention. I don’t know the privacy or security settings of these sites. On my ASU email, I read an announcement from my MCO 425 class and read another email notifying me that one of my assignments had been graded.
9:30 AM- I log onto Twitter/X and first look at what’s trending. Like Apple, I have never read Twitter’s privacy policy or terms. My Twitter feed mostly reflects my interests such as music, animals, art, etc. It’s just like the content I’ve liked or retweeted on Twitter before. I saw a tweet from a page I’ve regularly engaged with called @CatWorkers. It’s a tweet of a black cat at his office job and I click the heart button.
Then I saw and liked a tweet about the Beatles from another page I’ve engaged with before called @crockpics. These tweets are on my feed because Twitter’s algorithm knows that my interests are music, animals, etc. The algorithm has even more specific details such as that I’m more of a cat person and my favorite band is the Beatles. Based on my interests and previous engagement, Twitter’s algorithm pushes this type of content on my feed, such as positive posts about the Beatles and cats.
10:00 AM- I go downstairs and while I’m eating breakfast, I hop on my laptop to look at the headlines on The New York Times. One of the articles I read is about the planned execution of an inmate in Alabama, done by means that have not been done before. By clicking on and reading this article, The New York Times’ algorithm denotes this as a topic I could be interested in, and it may perhaps recommend pro-death penalty articles.
I was not aware of The New York Times settings and terms. Upon some research, The New York Times help page states, “Often, our algorithms note common topics in your reading history and recommended articles about similar topics or articles read by others with similar reading histories.”
11:00 AM- I log onto the Peacock streaming service on my smart TV and watch four episodes of The Office. The home screen shows me recommendations of shows and movies I might be interested in. Since I usually watch The Office on Peacock, I’m given recommendations for similar comedies such as Parks & Recreation and Night Court.
Their algorithm is feeding me comedies because of my previous watch history. This also causes the algorithm to not recommend things I don’t watch such as sports. I don’t know Peacock’s privacy policy or terms of service. Sometimes I watch what’s recommended to me, but I didn’t today.
1:00 PM- After watching TV, I check what’s trending on Twitter/X. Then I browsed the Temu shopping app on my phone. My homepage is filled with similar products and brands that I’ve looked at before. Based on my previously searched and viewed items, and even tracking my activity across other apps and sites, Temu’s algorithm knows I like crafts and Sanrio items. The algorithm feeds my homepage products that I will be interested in. I always click on some of the recommendations. The app even pre-typed in “diamond painting kits,” as I’ve purchased this before. I don’t know Temu’s privacy policies and terms.
1:20 PM- On my phone, I search for some recipes on Google Search to get an idea of what I’d like to make for lunch. I click on air fryer recipes on allrecipes.com. While scrolling, I came across an ad for Temu. Interesting…I was just on the app. The ad shows me products like what I’ve looked at in the past and tells me I can save up to 90%. This shows me that the Temu app is tracking my other activity so I can see ads for things I might be interested in. I didn’t click the ad.
1:40 PM- I’ve prepared lunch and as I’m eating, I hop back onto my laptop to watch some YouTube videos. I watch one of my favorite YouTubers, Nerdecrafter. They make videos of craft tutorials and product reviews. This YouTuber and similar videos are recommended to me on my homepage and the side of the screen when I’m watching a video. I click on some of the recommendations when I search “Nerdecrafter,” which feeds the algorithm.
YouTube’s algorithm knows my interests based on my search and watch history. I also noticed I get location-specific ads for restaurants and stores in my area, so the YouTube algorithm must know where I live and businesses near me probably pay for that. I don’t know YouTube’s privacy policy or what information I’ve agreed to share.
3:00 PM: I work on finishing my discussion board assignment and the next assignment for my MCO 425 class.
7:00 PM- Sitting down to eat dinner, I log onto Disney+ on my smart TV. Since I just watched The Mandalorian a few days ago, my home screen shows recommendations for other Star Wars-themed shows and movies the algorithm thinks I’ll like. I chose to watch one of their recommendations, feeding the algorithm. Once again, the algorithm has kept track of the brands and genres of content I’ve previously watched. I don’t know the details of the privacy and terms I’ve agreed to on Disney+.
10:00 PM- I listen to some music on my IHeartRadio app. I’m recommended an 80s pop station. The algorithm knows I’ve listened to this station before. As I’m listening, I notice I hear songs that I have liked on the app, so the algorithm knows to play these songs more often. Like YouTube, I’m also given location specific ads. The algorithm knows where I live and knows my musical interests. Again, I don’t know the details of the privacy and terms I’ve consented to.
11:00 PM- Before going to sleep, I read two chapters of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone.
The theme of how I use media throughout the day is either to stay informed, be entertained and/or pass the time. I am embarrassed to admit that I don’t know the privacy policies or terms of service for any of the media content and platforms that I use and have consented to.
Honestly, I don’t know what information I’ve agreed to share with these companies. When I sign up for a service, I click that I’ve read the terms even though I haven’t. Previously, I was nonchalant as to what information these companies collected about me. I didn’t take the time to research the privacy policies of these companies.
I am reconsidering how I use media and how my information and consent are being used because I need to be aware of what these companies are collecting about me. My general likes and dislikes are one thing, but knowing where I live is a little creepy.
On top of that, these companies are selling my data to third parties. I don’t know who they are, what they’re collecting, and what they’re using it for. I intend to take the time to educate myself, such as researching companies’ privacy policies and terms before I give my consent and use the service.