In the back of our minds, we know the “free” social media platforms and cellphone apps we use are not truly free. We always pay a cost in privacy. When your Facebook account shows you an ad for pet food or home exercise equipment, it is drawing on a highly detailed portrait assembled from your clicks and choices.
Throughout our day, sensitive data points that include our location, our browsing history and demographic details are captured to update a precise digital portrait of our interests, beliefs, actions and movements. This information is then shared with hundreds of bidders in a digital auction. This “real-time bidding” takes place in a few milliseconds in order to match you with an ad that you might click.
