Learning Intention: To explore what is meant by ‘The Data or Surveillance Economy.’
This was one of the questions from JUNE 2021
‛The media control how we understand and connect with the world.’ To what extent do you agree with this statement? [30]
We need to investigate and research the following areas so that if a similar question came up – we would be ready to answer it.
So we need to consider the following areas:
- the relationships between software, hardware and audiences
- convergence of personal communication technology and mass communication technology.
- the changing nature of media ownership and distribution models including net neutrality
- impact on society of technological change including the collection and sharing of information and data protection
Task 1 – Google Bingo
How many ways do you think Google could track your browsing and what kind of information might they be gathering from us. With a partner, list as many as you can and then share them with the class.
Apparently, Google along can harvest 52000 bits of info about us from using Google search and Google apps. That is phenomenal. ….can we do something about this?
But could we actually be complicit in our acceptance of tracking, data surveillance? Is it just something we have come to accept and not challenge?
Is anyone prepared to share their browsing history with the class? No, probably not. Even your teacher would not want to divulge that. But we seem happy to be tracked by complete strangers in far off countries. Moreover, we give these people (& their algorithms) permission to analyse that data in order to learn our preferences and triggers in order to shape our media consumption.
Why is that I wonder?
Task 2 – your teacher will read this short article to you
To track or not to track – that is the question!
With a partner – sum up what it is saying about our lives living in the shadow of continual data surveillance on our CT.
Task 3 – The Facebook data debacle and Twitter too!
A couple of years ago there was a story (a really important case study) that for the first time really exposed just how devious and manipulative social media data is monetised and used to shape our actions.
An Essential Case Study
Watch this video about Cambridge Analytica.
Discussion
What do you think about our time and attention being monetised?
How do you feel about Facebook monetising that data, by selling your attention to advertisers and political groups?
Task 4 – The Right to be Forgotten
That’s why we have data protection and a right to be forgotten.
Even though we are not part of the EU, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) still applies.
Find one example:
- of who we can ask to erase our data as we have a Right to be Forgotten?
- and how is it best to counteract general data collection though from the tech giants like google, amazon, meta etc?