Google Scans Data From Gmail Accounts
As we continue to learn more and more about the networks we build between our friends and family, it is intriguing to think about the role this plays within social media and our online presences as discussed in class. The difference between strong and weak ties becomes apparent as we spend much more time communicating with those we are closer to than others; this article takes a unique approach by highlighting how large companies can take advantage of these networks as part of their marketing tactics.
Using software tools, it seems that companies such as Google look at information including our purchases, travel destinations, and most importantly, the friends and colleagues we interact with the most. By looking at the differences between our strong and weak ties, these companies can further target us with advertisements based on the information they have about us, as well as share and use it for their own research. The fact is, by creating such established networks, with a clear difference between our strong and weak ties, a large amount of information about us becomes very apparent to any person or company who has access to this information; our strongest ties are with those we clearly connect with and value the most, and vice versa.
In class, we have highlighted our discussions of these social and online networks as engaging ways for us to connect with others, but this article probes the thought that though they are engaging, these networks also allow large companies to connect with us as well, sometimes even when we least expect it. This article opens the door to the larger discussion surrounding privacy and regulation in the context of large social media and tech companies, but looking at it from the perspective of the networks we have already built online brings a new point of view to the social media networks and strong and weak ties we have discussed within class, as well as the negative impacts that these networks can sometimes bring.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-says-it-continues-to-allow-apps-to-scan-data-from-gmail-accounts-1537459989