Q1

I think data mining is used effectively when it is used ethically and to improve peoples' experiences online. In a marketing class that I took, I was surprised to find that many of my peers were okay with businesses having large access to consumers' data because they preferred the personalized shopping and browsing experience it created. While I can see the advantages to this, I think it becomes a privacy issue when businesses use this data to manipulate their audience. Marketers are able to analyze consumers’ wants, needs, and determine emotional triggers to advertise in a way that earns the most attention according to their audience. Access to this data also enables users to research how behavior can be influenced, giving them power, especially over a vulnerable audience. Security is also a great risk. Some people are unaware of the information that is collected and unknowingly give away more than they intend. Data that is collected, knowingly or not, is stored and can be hacked or sold to a third party.

Q2

Data mining is a process of collecting information that is a mathematical algorithm for organizations to analyze and store. While the collected information can benefit organizations, it is also collecting personally identifiable information that can be a risk to the privacy of consumers. Some believe that data mining is spying because so many people are shopping online or shopping with credit cards, which requires providing personal information that was never required in the past. Whenever one makes a purchase online for an item, that information is saved, and for any future shopping, the stored data generates similar items the individual might be interested in. That is also one of the reasons why many websites today ask users if they want the option of using cookies or not. This allows for organizations to allow people to decide and collect data on what products are more frequently purchased and are in demand. I think there is a fine line of gathering information to better understand the performance of a service or a product, but this information should not be provided to third parties. When this information is being shared with other parties there is no knowledge of how this information is being used which puts consumers at risk without even realizing. Organizations today can collect more information than that is needed to sell products. Not only is more information is being shared with organizations, but there are many consumers who are not educated on how to protect themselves from sharing their personal information. Our world has evolved so much with technology that there is no real way to protect our information or privacy when we are consistently swiping cards and shopping online. I think we need to do a better job at educating our people with protecting themselves but also sharing the bare minimum required information as necessary.

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