The Impact of Data Disclosure and Targeted Advertising on Privacy

Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the time users spend on social media. Individuals use social networks for diverse purposes, allowing social media and marketing companies to profit from this trend. Two key concepts play a significant role in how personal data is treated: disclosure, which refers to social media revealing users’ browsing information, and targeted advertising, which is the practice of using user data to personalize advertisements. This essay discusses how disclosure and targeted advertising negatively affect users regarding their privacy and spending habits, highlighting these as the most detrimental characteristics of modern social networks.

The Threat to Individual Privacy

One of the most evident negative aspects of disclosure is that it poses a threat to an individual’s right to privacy. Disclosure has caused people to be under constant observation. Indeed, as Chen and Stallaert (2014: 430) assert, “the nation’s top 50 websites install, on average, 64 pieces of tracking technology, usually without any notification to users.” Furthermore, as Stephen (2015: 5) states, digital privacy is certainly lacking. Essentially, the disclosure of personal browsing data violates a person’s fundamental right to privacy.

Economic Consequences of Targeted Advertising

The main purpose of disclosing user information is to create targeted advertisements that align with the interests of the user. By its very nature, targeted advertising is designed to trigger unnecessary and expensive purchases. Social media and marketing companies constantly encourage users to make purchases by reminding them of products they have previously viewed or similar items. To aggravate matters, certain individuals who frequently use social media become easy targets for marketing companies, as businesses store detailed data about their buying interests. According to Corniere and de Nijs (2016: 50), “disclosure can lead to higher prices even without price discrimination.” Ultimately, disclosure and targeted advertising do not operate to the benefit of the user and may negatively affect them in economic terms.

Conclusion: The Need for Regulation

This essay has shown that social media is detrimental to the user for several reasons: it employs browsing habits to personalize more effective advertisements while neglecting the user’s right to privacy. Furthermore, targeted advertising results in users spending more money on products they do not necessarily need. It becomes evident that there is a need for rules and regulations against data disclosure. In more than one sense, social media, disclosure, and targeted advertising operate to the disadvantage of the user.