While reading this article I began to think a lot about how it connects to the Filter Bubble. Polonetsky mentions that the most important issue to consider when it comes to customer privacy is “transparency.” If the data being aggregated by companies are used to benefit the users by some sort of improvement with the service offered, then users are completely ok with that. This is fascinating because while so much of society are trapped in a filter bubble, and may want to deviate away from its adverse effects, they willingly trapped themselves in there in the first place. Also when asked what the most overlooked issue is when it comes to businesses and customer privacy Polonetsky states that it is choosing passwords. I find his notion that users choosing poor passwords (ex: 1234, ABCDEF) are extremely vulnerable to hackers. And that using the same password for every site basically invites hackers into stealing your data. As Polonetsky mentions, strong consumer relationships are the determinants of success and I highly agree with him. If our relationships with companies are transparent, and companies are using our data responsibly with full disclosure, then this enables us the consumers to feel safe, but if otherwise, how can we truly trust the services we are using? Simply telling us that collecting our data to benefit us is not good enough of a reason to make users feel secure.
Article:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226519
I don’t think companies will ever say that they are collecting our personal information for their own sakes. They should clearly disclose that how colleting our data is beneficial to us, not them. It will be great if they disclose possible side-effects of data collection, but we know that they will never do it. I will feel more secured if companies disclose how our data flows to whom. I think at least they should disclose third parties or data receivers to earn consumers’ trusts.
Great post. Something easily overlooked and often forgotten. I have in the past always used the same password for everything. every once in a while I had to alter it a little bit due to password restrictions such as a capitalization or a number needed. The more I continue to use the Internet the more I eventually sign up for and the more account and passwords I am required to provide. It became difficult to remember all of the different passwords and usernames so luckily many of them were the same. As I became away of Internet hackers and the need to do my best to protect my information on the Internet, I thought I would make a dramatic change. I went and changed almost all of my usernames and passwords. I did my best to think of random names and number that did not correlate to me at all. In looking back I did not do the best job at this. I wrote down all of these different names as I knew I would forget them. I have since gone back and tried to change them all back to a uniform username and password for convenience reasons. I know have amassed a large number of these and ironically enough have put all the usernames and passwords on my google drive. I found this to be easily accessible and until recently trusted Google completely. I have been lucky enough to have never been Internet hacked (knock on wood). Until something bad happens I will most likely continue to feel secure and not spend much time thinking about what negative things could happen. I am a very trusting person and would like to keep that mentality the best I can. So I hope that nothing happens and my personality remains fairly constant.