Google and the UK iPhone Data Matter: Do People Understand Digital Information?
October 8, 2018
I noted this ThomsonReuters’ real news story: “London Court Blocks Google Mass Legal Action over iPhone Data Collection.”
The main idea, as I understand it, was to accuse Google of obtaining details from iPhone users’ browsing data. In order to accomplish this access, Google sidestepped the iPhone privacy settings.
The court seems to think that the charge against Google did not hold water. (An interesting question to consider is, “Why?” What are the benefits of such collection?)
Richard Lloyd, the activist who brought the suit, allegedly said:
“Google’s business model is based on using personal data to target adverts to consumers and they must ask permission before using this data. The court accepted that people did not give permission in this case yet slammed the door shut on holding Google to account.”
This information complements the information in ABC.net’s story “Border Agents Can Demand Access to Your Digital Device — Here’s What to Say If It Happens to You.”
As we noted in a recent DarkCyber video, government authorities know that data on mobile devices can illuminate some types of activities. Access to digital data on mobile devices is not limited to one or two nations.
There are several schools of thought about obtaining and analyzing digital data. What is interesting to Beyond Search is that the value of usage data was known from the earliest days of the online industry.
That means that this ThomsonReuters story is reporting about activity which has been chugging along since the late 1960s. (How many years has ThomsonReuters been collecting and analyzing digital information? Think in terms of decades, gentle reader. Why? Digital data invites collection and analysis. It is part of the digital revolution.)
Beyond Search’s view is that analysis and decision making based on usage data are inherent in online activity. What is interesting is that it has taken about 50 years for those using online to begin to think about this difference between print media and online media are.
There are other aspects of online information which are not understood and documented; for example:
- The economics of online data. More expensive than print and more difficult to monetize; therefore, the “free” model and online ads (visible and invisible)
- The corrosive power of flows of digital information. Print accretes for high value information; online erodes high value information. Hence, there is not fix for fake news; the phenomenon goes with the territory.
- Provenance. It is hard, time consuming, expensive, and tedious, to figure out connections in printed information. Provenance in digital content becomes a plastic, easily manipulated characteristic. “Facts” are fluid when converted to zeros and ones.
- Collection. Digital data is easy to store and easier to analyze in both historical and real time. Print is a different kettle of fish.
There are other attributes as well. Over the years, I have tried to identify and explain these. Good luck finding those articles. I don’t plan on digging through my files to find the more than 80 article and columns I have written about digital information.
Why?
Old age and my general fatigue that people are surprised by what struck me as obvious more than half a century ago.
Are mobile phones transmitters and receivers? Duh.
Stephen E Arnold, October 8, 2018
Comments
One Response to “Google and the UK iPhone Data Matter: Do People Understand Digital Information?”
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Outstanding post however I was wondering if you could write a
litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate
a little bit further. Bless you!