Cross Referenced - Part 1

Ever wonder why you need to have one of those little scan cards at the grocery store in order to get discounts? Its because your name, address and phone number are associated with those little cards and each time you buy something it is logged, analyzed and cross referenced. That data is used to help the store monitor your buying habits so they can send you coupons and "targeted" ads for things that you might be interested in. Its called Data Warehousing and the example above is the nice part of it. But there is a big dark ugly side to this practice that not only violates your privacy but can also make a lot of trouble for you. I'm going to break this topic down into several articles. This one addresses how and why they get your information.

In recent years, computers have gotten very inexpensive, powerful and capable of recording and analyzing massive amounts of data. The grocery store scan card mentioned above is just one of many ways your information is collected. Have you signed up for a drawing to win a trip or some other contest? Did you purchase anything using a personal check or credit card? Do you have one of those gadgets in your car that automatically collects your toll and deduct it from your account? Did you give to your church or a charity? All of these things can be tracked back to your name and address. But those are the obvious ones.

Did you know that your TV DVR is constantly reporting what shows you watch to the TV networks? They use this information for their rating process and again for targeted advertising. Your cell phone calls are likely tracked and because they use a network of cell towers, they know exactly where you are when you made that call. Those toll plazas on the freeway are not only deducting the toll from your account, they are also silently taking a picture of your car and license plate. There are security cameras in the stores you visit, parking lots, churches, parks, intersections - basically everywhere. And all those cameras are able to use face recognition technology to pick you out of the crowd and identify you with an amazing degree of accuracy.

Your computer is also helping a lot. There are little files called "cookies" on your computer that are silently recording every website you go to, when and how often. If your computer isn't protected properly (and maybe even if it is) it is possible that every keystroke including account numbers and passwords could be recorded. Social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter not only collect your data but cross reference it with your relatives, friends and, too often, total strangers. So maybe you are paranoid and don't even use your computer at home thinking you are more safe on the computer at the office. Perhaps, but it is likely that now they also know where you work and all the information associated with your job, your clients, your income bracket your retirement savings, etc.

So that is a lot of information being collected on you each day. All of it is being cross referenced by powerful computers all over the world trying to figure out what type of a person you are. They want to know what you enjoy, what might you buy, what charity might you support, where you might travel, how much insurance you need, what you can afford. The result of all this data collection is the ad that pops up on your computer for exactly the kind of car you were thinking of buying. Or the coupons that arrive in your mailbox for just the things you were going to buy. Or that insurance policy that is expensive - but just within your tight budget. Its all about trying to know who you are by what you do.

So what is the big deal - they know a lot about you - but you are a good person and don't have anything to hide - right? Plus, it seems logical to target advertising money to people who actually might buy your product. And you don't want to be bombarded by advertisements that don't mean anything to you. Yes, it all seems harmless and logical - until something goes terribly wrong.............

Stay tuned for part 2!