###### Meg Ellis
# Privacy Footprint

## Practical

### TruePeopleSearch

### What Every Browser Knows

### Google Ad Center
I've never heard of Honeywell, but interestingly enough, I really respect James Dyson for his work in design, so that was pretty accurate for me as a design major.

## On the readings
I’m surprised to say that rather than an initial feeling of paranoia when I found my personal information online, I had a much more positive response than I expected. I was mesmerized at what I had found, and I was even reacting as if I had just witnessed a magic trick right before my eyes. This feeling I have comes with a strong sense of naivety, which is worth acknowledging for sure, but it also comes with optimism, as usual. Sure, advertisers can use my personal information for their own greedy and selfish intentions, but I think it’s worth acknowledging the bright side on this spectrum. In the dawn of the age of information, as much as we can use this extensive knowledge to exploit and scam others, we can also use it to bring communities together.


Brian W. Kernighan’s chapter on data and information in his book, *D is for Digital*, heeds great caution against scammers and hackers, especially in social networks. However, Kernighan points out that “users of social networks voluntarily give up a remarkable amount of personal privacy in return for entertainment and keeping in touch with other people” (Kernighan, 2017). I’d argue that although our information can surely be used against us online, it’s a sacrifice that we should have a choice to make, for example, on social networks. This is most definitely a forgiving perspective to put on the table, but I think it’s worth considering, especially since advertisements and its personalization can feel out of our control.

I like to say that my naivety can act as a superpower during times when we feel out of touch, out of sight, and out of mind online. I am not, however, ignoring the importance of privacy online, nor do I approve of sneaky advertisers using your information to target ads towards you. “The more useful your phone is, the more attractive it is to advertisers, hackers, or anyone who wants your data,” said Mike Campin, Vice President of Engineering at Wandera (as cited by Haridy, 2019). I’d additionally argue that the more useful your phone is, the more human it has become; phones are literally becoming a part of who we are. By acknowledging that, it makes so much more sense why it gets so much easier for advertisers to target us the more we use our phones, but sneaky advertisers shouldn’t hold us back from utilizing social networks to connect with friends and family online.