Surveillance Capitalism and the Exploitation of Personal Data
According to Jiang et al. (2021), surveillance capitalism changes internet company-consumer interactions. This economy relies on personal data. Tech companies and others collect and analyze massive volumes of online behavior data, including preferences, habits, and interactions. Data monetization is unauthorized. Broad surveillance threatens privacy and autonomy under surveillance capitalism. Companies can create full profiles for targeted advertising, personalized suggestions, and behavioral manipulation by tracking and analyzing consumers’ digital footprints. Privacy hazards arise from ambiguous data gathering and use (Jiang et al., 2021, p.104 (10)). Critics say surveillance capitalism abuses personal data unduly. Online deception and coercion impair privacy and autonomy. Surveillance capitalism shows how technology, trade, and privacy interact in the digital age. Combating surveillance capitalism requires strong rules, openness, and consumer knowledge of data surveillance’s effects.
Data Recording and Analysis Techniques
Jiang et al. pioneered data recording and analysis research that revealed major privacy risks. Their innovative research shows how browser history and social media reveal personal information. Privacy problems arise from “data mining,” which may properly identify people, their habits, and their interests (Jiang et al., 2021, p.104 (11)). Personal attribute-based discrimination and unfair treatment are conceivable with sophisticated data analysis algorithms. Modern data collection mixes anonymous and identifiable data. Acquisti and Gross emphasize the urgency of addressing ethical issues and potential downsides of big data collecting and processing. These studies show the complexity of data collection and privacy abuses, stressing digital security.
Pervasive Use of Cookies for Online Tracking
Rizi and Reno (2022) analyzed cookies’ wide online tracking. Websites use cookies for login, session management, and customization. Advertisers and others can track consumers’ internet browsing, especially third-party tracking. Growing third-party tracking allows privacy-violating targeted advertising and behavioral profiling. The degree of online tracking and privacy problems may surprise users. Cookies’ massive data collection and analysis network compromises privacy (Rizi and Seno, 2022, p 1005 (4)). Online monitoring transparency and user education are crucial, according to Rizi and Reno. Internet surveillance and data utilization for targeted advertising and other objectives may surprise many. To reduce cookie-based surveillance risks, users must be educated and empowered to make online privacy decisions.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Legal and ethical issues shape data collecting and privacy discussions. These acts were examined for legal and ethical reasons. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and US California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are important legislative advancements. For privacy, organizations must follow tight data collection, processing, and storage laws. Even if they protect, these policies are hard to enforce, especially for multinational organizations in multiple jurisdictions. Consent, openness, and technology vs. person rights are also covered by data privacy ethics. Data collection and use transparency and personal data control are questions. Data collection ethics need justice, accountability, and human autonomy from organizations and policymakers (Rizi and Seno, 2022, p 1005 (8)). Due to legal and ethical convergence, data harvesting technically must be addressed in complete frameworks that protect privacy and human rights. While the GDPR and CCPA strengthen data protection, more work is needed to address emerging issues and preserve privacy rights in evolving technological landscapes. Policymakers, corporate stakeholders, and civil society may collaborate to establish robust legal and ethical frameworks for responsible data use and digital privacy.
Challenges and Opportunities for Privacy Protection
Technology and data collecting change frequently, making privacy protection difficult. New data collection and technologies may make traditional privacy protection tactics ineffective. Innovation in technology and regulation is needed to combat new threats. The global nature of digital ecosystems makes privacy legislation difficult to standardize. Different laws and cultural privacy attitudes hinder data gathering and use rules. These concerns require international cooperation and coordination to set privacy standards. Despite these constraints, technology and politics can safeguard privacy (Rizi and Seno, 2022, p 1005 (14)). Decentralization, encryption, and anonymization help protect sensitive data and privacy. Consumer education and regulato