Your Digital Footprint

Media Ads verse Social Media Ads

Being digitally literate may seem like a full-time hobby. No one inside the industry or outside the industry can truly describe how our name was selected for a particular add. Facebook CEO gave a brief and ambiguous answer to Congress in 2019. Is there any hope of our government working for ‘we the people?’

Traditional media advertising relays on the subject content that the individual is viewing. So if you are watching a children’s cartoon, there is a high probability the ad will be targeted towards children or moms. But that is not the same in the social media space. Today if you are watching a children’s cartoon on a streaming service, the ads that are presented to you, are targeted to you specifically. Their algorithm will incorporate your personal demographics and past behavior to decide which ads are for you.

Data Protection – 2020

I just had to take an exam for my current job, proving that I understand the new California Consumer Privacy Act. The new law requires CA companies to allow their customers to request what individual data is used, the ability to opt-out of data usage, and the ability to request that your personal information is deleted from their system.

This leaves me wondering; how does one know which companies are using their personal data? As some of you know, I was a victim of identity theft. A cashier at a Sprint Mobile store had the ability to use minimal information to apply for credit in my name. I was not, nor have I ever been a customer of Sprint. How would I know to request that Sprint deletes (or at the very minimum opt-out) my personal data?

We as consumers never explicitly gave Experian the right to our data, but our government gave them the ok to manage our data. This data hack was one of the U.S. most significant breaches, exposing over half of U.S. consumers to identify fraud.

So, although our laws are catching up to technology, we are not all the way there or entirely protected.

PS – our government allows ALL cellular carriers the right to our credit scores, etc, for ease of switching providers. Regardless of your knowledge or permission.

See who visits your Facebook page

Manual Method To Check Who Visited My Facebook

Open Your FB timeline and copy URL – facebook.com/abc.
Right click on your browser and click “View page Source”.
You will get redirected to a new page with lots of HTML/CSS/Javascripts codes.
Hold CTRL+F (or Command+F on Mac) on your keyboard, a text box appears at the right corner, in that box, type- “InitialChatFriendsList” (Don’t include Quotes)
Next to that, you’ll see a list of numbers, these are actually profile IDs’s of people or your friends who visit your FB timeline.
Just go to “facebook.com” and paste the ID number beside it with a “\” . For example, if the ID is abcd, you have to put it as- facebook.com/abcd.
The first ID shows the one who visits profile more often while the last ID never visits your profile

FOR SALE: Your internet browsing history

President Donald Trump signed legislation 4/3/2017 killing privacy rules that would have required internet service providers, broadband and other telecommunications services to get your explicit consent before they share or sell your web browsing history and other sensitive information.

The rules were approved in the final months of President Barack Obama’s administration but hadn’t taken effect yet. Under the bill Trump signed they never will – and the FCC isn’t allowed to try to pass new rules.

The FCC regulates ISPs and the FTC regulates services such as Facebook, Uber and Google.

Which VUI devices do you use?

VUI (voice user interface) is a device that on command using human voice to communicate. Another word for this is intelligent voice agent or voice assistance.

Technology has increased the confidence factor in understanding the intent of the request from the speaker. Programs have been built to weed out the ‘ums and hums’ from the dictation. Eliminating the unnecessary words from the speaker. allowing people to speak naturally in a comfortable conversation of setting with technology.

Like any other data, there is a security factor to be aware of. The devices are always on and listening which can allow for hackers to listen in. Also data is passing thru the servers the input and output from questions asked and information given. The device is active when a wake word is used. (For example, Alexa is mostly used as the wake word for the Echo device.)

You can reference the criminal case with evidence from Amazon echo.

To date Amazon has not released any access of anyone’s echo to the government. Amazon currently reports it only stores the data access by its cloud-based storage system. However in theory a government agency could request to listen in even before you use the wake work. A warrant is necessary by a federal judge to access this information, same as phone records and email. Although the Net Neutrality laws will give permission for providers to sell access history, making it accessible in aggregate information.

Location, location, location – it’s tracked as your data footprint

Did you know there are multiple features and apps on your smart phone that track your location data? This information to personalize your experience. In some instances you are capable of disabling this feature, and sometimes you don’t it’s just there.

This feature that stirred up a lot of commotion among tech fans who are concerned with privacy.

Apple says this data is well protected though, and it’s actually quite useful if you’re comfortable with it.

Want to see the places you visit most often – they are captured on your iPhone?

Go to Settings >
Privacy >
Location Services >
System Services >
Frequent Locations

You’ll see everywhere you’ve been recently. You can easily disable the feature if it makes you uncomfortable.

Other apps that use your location data: camera apps (location is embedded in the metadata), web browsers, maps, weather alerts, Facebook, Tinder. Programs can use a function called geo-location to help identify when you are close to their facility, they will use this data to send messaging (to you or an employee). One day, in the near future, we will have “instant check-in”, once your phone crosses the threshold, the system will be notified that you have arrived.

Why does a company have trouble identifying my two accounts?

By no means is this an excuse, it is only an explanation. As we advance the digital age, companies with legacy systems may have a difficult time recognizing you are the owner of two different accounts. The company had two individual systems that they ‘merged’ within their enterprise. Also has corporations grow, some departments may not have access to all the customer information, due to processes and/or legality. Its frustrating – feeling like you are caught in a loop, no one can help you completely and it is on your shoulders to untangle. A company may have a rewards program and a credit card program – these two teams may have struck guidelines regarding what information can be shared across departments.

Here are two examples I have experienced:

I had an store credit card with Macy’s (it was transferred from my store credit card from Hudson’s after their acquisition). The card sat unused for years. Needing some retail therapy, I saw Macy’s had great offers if you used your Macy’s credit card for the purchase. I was game.

At check out, the cashier informed me that I needed to ‘upgrade’ my account to a Macys/American Express card. The card I had in my hand was no longer valid. I really didn’t want to open an American Express card. I like limited the number of open accounts I have at one time. I just wanted the discount – I’ll use cash to pay for it.

I did open the account and purchased some Christmas gifts. They had some great sales. The statement arrived and I mailed in a check. The next month I received the statement missing the payment. I called, she found the error. The payment was applied to the closed account (giving it a credit) and the open account went unpaid. She took immediate took care of the problem in full. It was silly their systems let them apply a payment to a closed account, when there was an open account for the same person.

A long time ago I opened a traditional saving account with a bank that was in multiple states. At the time I traveled a lot, and we didn’t have the benefit of online banking. So I opened an account that appeared in all my travels. I later found out that although they were all the same bank in name, legalities were preventing customers from depositing money in one state and accessing it another. (P.S. This was a long time ago, and I’m sure a lot has changed.

What makes VUI new and unique – its hands-free!

VUI – Voice User Interface, is the audio equivalent of GUI ( graphical user interface = visual). VUI uses voice commands, giving us a conversational and hands-free experience. We have been using IVR for a long time, especially call centers (press or say 1 for location…) And remember the Clapper? (Clap on, Clap off, THE CLAPPER!) I used one for a long time, it wasn’t the most technical piece of equipment, but it was practical for me. Today I can ask my Echo to control multiple lights with having to clap my hands. And it is the best when you are elbow deep in the kitchen and need to set a timer.

Growing up int he 70s we changed the TV channel by getting up from the couch and twisting a dial on the TV set. Soon we had remotes controls (aka ‘the clicker’ – because of the clicking sound it made with the buttons). Today, you can opt for a voice controlled TV. A simple shout and the TV will turn on, off, or the change the channel.

It’s fascinating when we can turn hardware into software.

The other night I went to a UX presentation on VUI. With today’s technology the capabilities and functionalities for voice assistance are constantly developing new use cases.

VUI also called voice assistance or intelligent voice agent relays on speech recognition technology to provide a high confidence factor in understanding the ‘intent of the request’ from the speaker. Programs weed out the ‘ums and hums’ and other unnecessary words from the speaker.

Always-on allow the devices to respond when give a wake word or prompt. For my Echo (brand) device, the wake word is defaulted to Alexa (name).

Are you wondering about big brother, fraud or hacking? Like any other data points or apps that you use, there are security factors to be aware of.

First, VUI devices are ‘always-on’, this allows for the device to respond when necessary. But because it has the ability to listen – if someone was looking for a back door this could be it (remember when baby monitors were new). Keep your router and Wi-Fi secure, this will help eliminate intruders.

Second these devices create, collect and store your history data. Each request is captured similar to your browser search history and click thought and saved on cloud-based storage systems.

In both security cases, a warrant is needed before a government agency may request to listen in or see your history files from these VUI providers. It is similar to a request for a mobile phone call history. (To date – Feb 2017 – Amazon has not released any access of anyone’s Echo to the government.)

Another always-on device is Google Home. Applications such as Siri and Comcast’s voice remote control require you press a button to start the commands. Highlighting the hands-free benefit of always-on.

A ‘skill’ is a command using human voice to communicate. Echo recently released its open API at CES 2017 – it now has over 10,000 skills. By having an open API, it allows any developer to create skills that can integrate with other electronic devices. Like shouting from your bed to have Alexa to start brewing your coffee.

Next on the horizon is biometric voice identification. This voice recognition can distinguish who is talking or making the request. So when I say ‘play my favorite song’ it knows the difference between my favorite song and yours based on who gave the request.

Digital Privacy Predictions for 2017

Happy New Year Everyone!

Fact: Your digital data will more than double in the next year. As we all acquire new devices, we create new data. This is often referred to as velocity of data.

My data predictions for 2017 include:

New Policies governed by our legal system.
Legal groups fighting for consumers’ data rights.
Applications merging personal health data from multiple devices for new analysis.

#1: We need better laws and standards to protect our data. Large companies continue to get hacked leaving the individuals vulnerable to identify theft and other financial problems. Better measures are needed to ensure our data is captured, saved, used and destroyed safety. This would include audits and fines for companies that are not in compliance when collecting your data.

Data is collected on devices via GPS/time stamps, voice commands to always on devices, and (of course) web and application activity.

Data collection for new apps, devices, etc are often defined in the fine print of the terms and conditions, but we quickly scroll through the text knowing we want to download the app regardless of the data price.

We have recently seen controversy over accessing smart phone data history (US government and iPhone) and now there is a murder case that wants access to the Echo/Alexa history for the night in question. What and how information is accessed is still in question for the general public. Which leads us to prediction #2.

#2: We will see multiple class action law suits involing data permissions. There will be a couple of companies that will be in the news and used to set the example. Data sharing is a quite side business that happens with most companies that creates or collects data (a retailer, social media group, web history). As more permissions are breached, customers will demand to know how or why their data was shared and will want full functionality to manage permissions on what data can be used and when. Creating new features and options helping us manage our own data.

We have become so comfortable giving way our data in exchange for access to ‘free’ use of apps and software. But at what cost are we paying in the long run if this data is not protected and can cause significant financial lost if stolen.

#3: I also predict we will be smarter using our health data. Wether the data is from wearables, x-rays or lab results, new applications will make it possible to share and analyize data across application types to identifying new trends and health markers. Forecasting health problems quicker. This will open new opportunities for medicine.

What is a Data Strategist?

As a DATA STRATEGIST I’m responsible for helping corporations (very large corporations) for planning action and creating policies around the data. This includes enterprise use, definitions, and governance. My career path lead me to focus on customer data which included email communications, loyalty programs even credit card programs (the amount of data generated and used for analytics is very valuable to retailers!). In theory it may sounds so simple, but if it was, you wouldn’t receive mail with your name misspelled or receive emails from companies that can’t identify you as a regular customer. Data governance is also a big part of the job and includes security, rules and definition of each piece of data.