How Facebook Knew Man was Gay Before He Came Out

In the book The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg tells a story about a pregnant teenager who hadn’t yet told her parents about her situation. One day, Target began mailing her coupons for diapers and cribs, determining she was due in August. Her parents caught on, and she was forced to tell them that, yes, she was with child. The retailer’s sophisticated algorithms had apparently tattled on her based on what she was buying in the checkout line.

Scary? You bet. It should be noted, however, that Big Data isn’t always so bad. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that researchers have successfully used Google, Bing, and Yahoo’s internet search data to discover dangerous, unreported side effects of prescriptions drugs — information that may not have been revealed any other way.

The moral of the story, though, is that Facebook, Google, Target, and innumerable faceless corporations know a whole lot about you — whether you like it or not. Matt’s story is unnerving, yes. And unless we all pack up and move to a deserted island somewhere, it most certainly won’t be the last.

Article Appeared @http://news.yahoo.com/facebook-knew-man-gay-came

 

 

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