Prized assets for web trackingS.E Peacock

York UniversitySocial Science

TRS 3-176, Session 4C

Wednesday, July 29 • 10:46 - 12:15

http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2789187.2789199

OverviewScientific goal – Improve the measurement of ICT / Social Media use.

Societal relevance – Change of perspective from ICT access to online applications used, and furthering online user analysis.

Research questions – What needs to be measured to understand ICT use? Why has web tracking expanded so rapidly in the last five years? What are the consequences.

Method – Internet intensity index (I3), two-time period regression model.

Key findings – The most avid Internet users are young-ish city people, who are well-off, highly educated men and women, most often from Vancouver.

Conclusions – Online users currently tracked are the most coveted of all consumer groups by marketers, making corporate self-regulation very unlikely.

A tale of two surveysCanadian Internet User Survey 2010 and 201220 items for online activity, for exampleSU_Q01 Personal Internet use - for e-mail SU_Q02 Personal Internet use - instant messenger [and… visit gov websites ; medical/health information ; education, training or school; travel arrangements; search employment; electronic banking ; research investment] SU_Q10 Personal Internet use - read or watch news [and… search community events; browse info goods; sell goods/services SU_Q14 Personal Internet use - social networking sites SU_Q15 Personal Internet use - participate in discussion groups SU_Q16 Personal Internet use - play online games [and … obtain/save music ; obtain/save software; listen radio online; download/watch TV ; download/watch movies; telephone calls online (Skype)]

Internet Intensity Index and the Regression model

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Who are the most active online users?

City people Young professionals

University educated In paid work

Earning + $100,000.- (more or less...)

What does all this mean?

Overphishing of the online commons

w e b t r a c k i n g : Definition / Tech-

Specs

• behaviorally targeted advertising,

• third party monetisation of personal data,

• browser cookies, flash cookies, uebercookies,

evercookies.

• canvass fingerprinting,

• cross-platform referencing,

• spyware, crapware,

• redirecting , DNS hijacking

w e b t r a c k i n g : Effects

• insecurity of personal data rights,

• vulnerability towards ‘eternal’ storage,

• loss of secrecy,

• fewer trusting social exchanges,

• fewer behavioral choice, more self-policing,

• fewer fresh beginnings,

• increase of online insecurity, cynicism and

distrust,

• user exploitation,

• under-use of the Internet’s possibilities.

Big societal experiment: Launching self-policing into a young generation of tomorrow’s leaders on an encompassing scale.

What if we knew the childhood and teenage follies of all the people who are in the audience today?

Would you be sitting here, would you be the person you are? Would you readily receive social status?

Where is personal data stored and who has access to it?

What are possible solutions?

!!!

Re-defining the online commons! General limit to data storage (>3 months)! Regulating the online commons by

democratically delegated people (ISOC? IETF?).

! Opt-in / informed consent from users for the storage and use of their personal data.

! Mandatory pay-for-use possibilities to escape personal data storage.

! Strict non-storage of any personal data from under-age users.

That’s it from here and thank you for listening!

But watch your back and the backs of your loved ones, online.