How careful are you about what you share on Facebook and other social networks? Probably not very. But in light of a new initiative Facebook is launching, you may want to give more thought to what you post on the social web.
Today, in a period characterized by financialization and globalization, where “information” is king, the idea of any commodity defining an era might seem quaint. But commodities are no less important today, and people’s relationships to them remain central to understanding society. If the automobile was fundamental to grasping the last century, the smartphone is the defining commodity of our era.
A large number of apps demand access to your private information such as location, contacts and text messages. How would you react if real people demanded the same?
As you surf the Web, information is being collected about you. Web tracking is not 100% evil — personal data can make your browsing more efficient; cookies can help your favorite websites stay in business. But, says Gary Kovacs, it’s your right to know what data is being collected about you. He unveils a Firefox add-on, Collusion, to do just that. (Update: Collusion is now called Lightbeam.)
Revelations about government surveillance have motivated a lot of reactions, some of which take into account that we gain something for some of the data we give up in our day-to-day lives. But the transaction is different when the government is involved.
This one-click personality test analyses your Facebook Likes to generate a prediction of your psychological profile. It was developed by David Stillwell and Michal Kosinski (the University of Cambridge Psychometrics Centre) in collaboration with myPersonality project.
Data that shows where people live, work, and play is being sold to businesses and city planners, as mobile operators seek new sources of revenue.
An algorithm can better predict your future movements by getting a little help from your friends.
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