Overview
When I was growing up we had news sources we could trust. Under The Fairness Doctrine, the news on TV and radio was partial and fair. But in 1987 during the Reagan administration, this was repealed, leading to alternative media and more misinformation than ever before.
And now with the internet, we are truly in the wild west of sharing information, collecting data, and trying to maintain privacy. Big companies take advantage of that from all angels with their marketing, which is now ultra-targeted (and often in ways you wouldn’t even be able to recognize). Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I sit down with Andy Russell to talk about what data really means, who has yours, how they got it, and how they use it.
It’s a scary realization, but computers can know us in a way we don’t even know ourselves. That’s why you end up seeing an ad for the product you just happened to think about. Andy explains how big companies like Google and Facebook access and use our data. We like to think we aren’t easily persuaded, but when companies know our likes, wants, needs, and purchase history it all adds up to an easier sale.
Studies have shown humans only actually remember 0.05% of our memories—databases can remember it all! That’s how they get the leg up and leverage our data to make money.
Andy shares so much more fascinating information about data sharing, transparency and privacy issues, and how all of this advertising is impacting our lives on a deeper level. We also discuss if political ads on big digital media outlets should be regulated and how they affect our elections.
I hope you’ll tune in.
Apple
