Jinfo: Understand the context of privacy

Understand the context of privacy - Part 3
Jinfo Blog

29th November 2007

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If tightly guarding personal data is a character of highly individualized society like the US, then sharing of personal details is no less distinctive in a collectivism society like many of those in Asia. When people are used to exposing certain types of information in extended social circles and generally experience more benefits than drawbacks as a result, they may be less concerned with whether a Web site or service provider is tracking their click streams and what can happen then. After all most Chinese don't trust online payment and credit card is only one of the 25 payment methods that Amazon.com.cn offers in China, of which mostly via direct bank transfers in addition to cash upon delivery. What do I lose when my online preferences are used to trigger services to better meet my needs while someone else receives an economic gain through my reactions? Isn't that a win-win situation? Sounds like a fair game in the information economy. As long as nothing damaging or bothering happens to me, like interruptive experience caused by annoying ads or my personal data appears in places against my will, my rational concerns of privacy may have limited impact on what I actually do in dealing with cookies and opt-ins, as this study found out. Facebook recently announced that it would use a new advertising system which would alert my friends of my purchases online in order to entice my friends to make similar purchases. Going too far? Facebook says that members may opt-out and not participate in this system. But is that opt-in or -out "situational"? Does it consider the differences of social contexts that shape each connection between friends? Hot debate is up in the air again . It would be interesting to see the geo-cultural distribution of the 13,000 Facebook users who have signed a petition protesting against the new targeted advertising plan.

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