Big Data Business Plan
Tue, Oct 03
Kevin Bowyer joins us this week for a series of lectures on surveillance capitalism.
In this session we're going to talk about the modern Internet business: a venture that seeks to collect as much data as possible about its users, which it then monetizes. Data from users goes into new products, personalizes existing products, is sold to other companies, and, most importantly, is key to the success of targeted advertising.
We have three main in-class learning goals. By the end of lecture today you will:
- Understand how companies making money from big data rely on a staggeringly large surveillance apparatus that rivals, if not exceeds, the capabilities of government intelligence services.
- Weigh the costs and benefits of the aforementioned surveillance apparatus, knowing that we get better products from it at some cost to personal privacy.
- Consider the ethics of advertising and ad-blocking software.
Note that there is a special homework assignment for this class period due on 10/2 at 5pm. See the details below.
Read This:
Elaine McArdle examines how IoT is ushering in a New Age of Surveillance in the Harvard Law Bulletin
Ian Bogost welcomes us to the Age of Privacy Nihilism in The Atlantic
Kevin Kelly writes in Wired that we Should Embrace Surveillance, Not Fight It
Adrienne LaFrance considers The Convenience-Surveillance Tradeoff in The Atlantic
Cory Doctorow reflects on the history of ad-blocking in Boing Boing
Avram Piltch writing on Why Using an Ad Blocker is Stealing in Tom's Guide
These optional readings provide additional detail on what companies are doing with your data and how they do it:
How Companies Learn Your Secrets
6 Links That Will Show You What Google Knows About You
Advertising is a Cancer on Society
Guardian of the GPL: Online Advertising is Becoming "A Perfect Despotism"
Do This:
Special Assignment for Surveillance Capitalism Week
In preparation for Prof. Bowyer's lectures this week, please fill out this worksheet. You may use the Internet to research the answers, but make sure to cite your sources in the sheet. Turn it in via your usual class folder named using this convention: lastname_firstname_duedate. Example: Joyce_Ellen_100223
This special assignemnt is due 10/2 at 5pm.
Writing Reflection 05
See the instructions posted on the assignment's page.
This writing reflection is due on 10/10 at 5pm.
This Week's Dialogue Group Meeting
Find at least one hour to meet with your group to discuss the prompt of the week: Is there a social media platform out there that's doing things better than the others?
Reading Quiz 06
The form for Reading Quiz 06 follows below. If you can't see the form below, try this direct link.