Targeted Advertising Follow-Up Activity
Explain to students that there are a number of ways that are easy to understand in which personal information can be valuable: the more an insurance company knows about someone’s driving habits, for instance, the more accurately they can price their car insurance. But what about platforms like search engines and social networks, that aren’t charging users money for their services?
Let students discuss this for a few minutes or until one of them mentions advertising. Project and play the How Targeted Advertising Works video below or have students watch on their devices from the Targeted Advertising Video chapter in the student material.
Now, explain to students that most of the money made by these services comes from advertising. The data they collect is used to determine what ads to show them on those and other platforms. Ask students to suggest a few things they might search for on search engines, or post about on social networks, that might influence what ads these platforms show them.
Make sure that students understand that the platforms listed in the video are only examples; many more types of online spaces gather data and use behavioural advertising. Some platforms can also continue tracking people after they’ve left if they don’t log out, and in some cases the ad network and the platforms are owned by the same company.
Ask students: What are some things you like about this? What are some things you don’t like about this? Working alone or in groups of two, have students use the activity in the How do you feel about targeted ads discussion chapter of the student material to brainstorm their thoughts. Remind students that they can download their completed activity to their device. Make sure the following points come up in the discussion:
Positive
- You get more relevant ads that may interest you
- You don’t have to pay for these apps/services with money
- The apps/services provide a useful tool for what you want to achieve with little to no hassle (e.g. without having to enter payment information.)
- User’s data allows the apps/services to improve their product
Negative
- You don’t necessarily know what you’re agreeing to (you have to read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to know what you’re giving up and how.)
- The Terms of Service and Privacy Policies are often long and difficult to fully understand
- Your data profile may keep you from seeing certain content (for instance, some ads are only aimed at boys or at girls) or see different content from someone else (some networks use your profile to offer different prices depending on what they think you’re willing to pay, for example, and to decide what posts, search engine results or news stories you’re shown), so that even if you feel your personal information is not valuable, it gives advertisers power over what you see and how much you pay.
- You may give up more personal information than you’re comfortable with (for example, things that you think of as private, like texts, emails or social networking posts, can all be used to build your profile.)
- Your data can be shared with or resold to different companies, or may be shared with companies you don’t realize have the same owner as the company that owns the app/service you’re currently using.
Tell students there are ways we can limit how much personal information we give out. Have students access the Protecting Your Privacy on Apps and Websites chapter in the student material and go through the different items with the class.