Google and Facebook, the Data Collecting Companies
Question: How do Google and Facebook track user activity to produce targeted advertisements, and what are the solutions deployed to increase user privacy?
Google and Facebook have created a network of commercial surveillance with their tracking technologies. The practice of third-party tracking on websites has become widespread. Google and Facebook own ten third-party domains that appear on the million most-visited sites with Google owning seven and Facebook owning three (West 2019). As Google and Facebook both rely heavily on the use of data and production, they have generated most of their profits from advertising through better targeting. Google analytics is a free analytics service in which it monetizes the data they collect and use it for ad targeting. They also compile them into statistics which measures the effectiveness of ad campaigns. The application of targeting services has been successful in producing data that paved a way for companies to expand enormously. Google and Facebook track user activity using Google analytics (data collection), third-parties, and cookies. The solutions used to increase user privacy are three approaches of which are technological, legislative, and educational measures. They give user’s control of opting-out of cookies, installing Do Not Track technologies, and browser plugins.
Targeted advertising and collecting data from online users has become one of the fastest growing web businesses (Sipior, et al. 2011). Advertisements are often behaviourally targeted to reflect the user’s interests and receive relevant online ads. Many have perceived this behavioral targeting as a threat to privacy. A recent poll by Zogby International revealed that 80% of consumers are concerned with their online tracking for advertising purposes (ENISA 2012). In addition, according to the Pew Research Center, 93% of Americans believe that being in control of whatever is collected is important, yet Facebook doesn’t comply with these privacy standards. Users rarely know where their information is being sent.
In 2003, Google launched AdSense which displays ads on sites through a network of millions of third-party sites. Advertisers can track user behavior whenever they click on an ad. In 2008, Google acquired the method of DoubleClick, an advertising and tracking company, that tracks users online based on the IP address. It has a presence on 57% of websites (Fortier, Burkell 2015). Google tracks its users to a high level including their name, credit card, phone number, and other identifiers. Google Analytics, a common tracker found on the web, provides information about user behavior that can help improve and enhance user experience. However, data can be leaked if the user doesn’t consent to the information that is shared with third-parties. Consequently, nine in ten websites leak data without the user’s awareness(O’Brien 2018). Data leakage can also occur when an additional Google tracking service, Tag manager, is used. When all services are linked, it allows for more advanced targeted advertising and cross-site tracking across the web. Data leakage via web tracking has raised the issue of privacy for users for the lack of opportunity to consent on their information being shared. Users aren’t aware of the consequences that derive from third-parties (O’brien 2018). According to Fortier, even though data present that consumers are aware of behavioral tracking, they aren’t fully informed of the capabilities and risks of these services.
Google collects data from its users’ to customize their services. It will provide personalized content, recommendations, and customized search results. When a user is signed into their Google account, they will receive increased relevant search results based on their previous searches. On the other hand, users who aren’t signed in will still have their information stored with unique identifiers tied to the device the user is using. Unique identifiers are “a string of characters that can be used to uniquely identify a browser, app, or device.” These identifiers remember users’ preferences, sync services, and personalize ads. Google determines one’s location by GPS, IP address, and sensor data from their device. It will also collect information from public online sources and display the user’s information if their name is searched. The more data the user displays, the more Google will have information to personalize the users’ data. Information that is also collected includes interaction with content and ads, purchase activity, and people with which content is shared. Advertising ID’s, used on Android devices, is used to display relevant advertising (Google 2015).
Facebook has different ways of compiling user’s data. Tracking begins when a person first visits the Facebook page. If they become a member, two types of tracking cookies are inserted into their browser: a session and browser cookie. If they decide to not become a member then only a browser cookie is inserted. Each time a third-party page has a Facebook “Like” button, “the plug-in works in conjunction with the cookie to alert Facebook of the date, time and Web address of the webpage you’ve clicked” (Acohido 2011). Facebook keeps tracks of these non-members even after they have left the webpage. An algorithm is used to determine what kind of advertisements the user wants to see. Furthermore, users don’t have control over the algorithm. Some users may be tracked without their permission; as a result, an ongoing debate between the Federal Trade Commission and Facebook question whether the company is violating users’ privacy by publicizing too much of their personal information. Facebook, in turn, has remained “ambiguous” on the extent to which it collects data (Achohido 2011). Google and Facebook sell this information to third-parties “as an additional revenue stream” (Crain 2018). Hence, they consequently sell public data without the knowledge or consent of the user.
Internet tracking is a powerful tool allowing marketers to adapt their strategies in tracking user behavior and producing advertisements. Facebook is designed to encourage its users to share their geolocated data. With face recognition, social networks can re-identify anonymous profiles. Data collected from these programs can be incorrect which can cause a lack of accountability, abuse, or error. To address users’ privacy concerns, there are plugins that block third-party trackers and delete flash cookies. In addition, tracking companies allow opting out of receiving targeted advertisements but still track and profile the user (ENISA 2012). Cookies were intentionally used to enhance the user’s experience by enabling a user to resume on the page they previously visited. When users are navigating on the site, however, someone could use cookies to invade the privacy of the user by web tracking and gathering information. Jupiter Research finds that 39% of users could be deleting cookies and if anti-spyware is included, it might be higher than 58%. The rejection of cookies on webpages justifies that over half of users have privacy concerns with cookies (Sipior, et al. 2011).
Online users’ privacy concerns include anonymity, unintended use of cookies, and surreptitious nature of data collection. First, user registration at a website can enable cookies to be matched with the user’s PII (personally identifiable information) allowing them to be identified without their knowledge. Second, unintended use of cookies would track the user’s navigation to determine what and when advertisements are presented. This disregards its original purpose of enhancing a user’s interaction and instead appeals to marketers and advertisers. Third, most users know about cookies but not flash cookies which enables the cookie to be restored on the website even after a deletion (ENISA 2012).
As users are being constantly tracked and profiled on the web, there are technological, legislative, and educational protective measures to increase user privacy. While some are more successful than others, these techniques have aimed to address privacy considerations of behavioral tracking. Nevertheless, increase users’ awareness of how they are being tracked and the ways they can protect themselves on the web.
There are several blocking tools such as browser plugins that shows users what trackers can learn about them. Amongst these blocking tools is Collusion, PrivacyBucket, Ghostery, Do Not Track Plus, and Adblock plus. Some of these tools also detect and block all third-parties. BetterPrivacy Firefox plugin aims to detect third parties by finding Flash cookies and regularly deleting them. Another technological measure is opt-out cookies. Many tracking companies allow users to select opting out of cookies, yet they still continue to track the user since advertising companies interpret opt-out cookies as not receiving targeted advertisements. There are problems, however, with the opt-out cookies approach. It requires frequent updating with new third-party trackers and because they expire, the installation of new cookies is required. Opt-out cookies are not supported by all ad networks (Mayer, et al. 2012).
Other browsers implement a Do Not Track header which signals a users preference to opt out of tracking. Google has pledged to add the feature to Chrome. Online companies have also implemented Adchoices which allows the user to see how their ad was targeted. It allows users’ to increase their awareness and by clicking the icon, they can receive further information about how the ad was targeted (Mayer, et al. 2012). The last measure is approaching a privacy-by-design system. It relies on the basis that privacy requirements are enforced in the early stages of designing the system. Some of these systems including Adnostic and PrivAd is based on limiting tracking while still engaging in privately targeting behavioral advertising. However, in this case, the user builds their own profile and requests relevant ads themselves.
The European Union stated that websites must enable users to opt out of having their information stored. Thus, only requiring it if absolutely necessary and “explicitly requested”. The Federal Trade Commission has taken steps for consumer protection. In 2011, they brought two enforcement actions that were related to third-party web tracking including attorneys that have claimed to raise federal and state claims over tracking practices. The online advertising industry imposes two core requirements on advertising companies of which they must provide information about their advertising practices to users and having users the option to opt-out of advertising. Consequently, third parties collecting user data remain unaffected (ENISA 2012).
Recommendations such as the developments of tools for increased transparency and control bring about user awareness on how their data is collected and managed. The FTC increases transparency such as allowing users to edit, add information, and opt out of specific market services. They also offer tips on network safety and online tracking. ENISA has also published on the privacy risks of cookies. Since the companies themselves are collecting users’ data, Google and Facebook have adopted transparency in which they offer an information page on advertising and privacy (ENISA 2012). How much information Google can collect on a user depends on their privacy controls and services. As consumers understand the consequences of online tracking and make informed decisions about their usage on digital media, there will be competitive pressure on tracking companies to better their market. Because of algorithms and sneaky ways of invasion, a user cannot fully apprehend the extensiveness of data collection even if they have a general sense of the transparency approaches Facebook adopts (West 2019).
Although companies like Google and Facebook apply forms of transparency such as informing the user of how their information will be used, it’s difficult for the user to fully comprehend how extensive it is. Facebook and Google continue to dominate social networking companies and have allured many to use its services. This, however, comes with a price- users paying it with their data and attention hence exchanging their privacy and control. User’s access to these technology companies are essential in the digital world and it can be difficult if they want to utilize them and protect themselves from massive surveillance at the same time. The solutions that have been implemented will allow for increased user privacy when they’re online and will raise awareness of how trackers use their data.
Acohido, B. (2011, Nov 16). Privacy advocates wary of site’s tactics. The Courier. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/904396124?accountid=14541
ENISA. (2012). Privacy considerations of online behavioral tracking. Retrieved from https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/privacy-considerations-of-online-behavioural-tracking/
Fortier, A., & Burkell, J. (2015). Hidden online surveillance: What librarians should know to protect their own privacy and that of their patrons.Information Technology and Libraries (Online), 34(3), 59–72. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1722657889?accountid=14541
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Google and Facebook, the Data Collecting Companies
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