Are you a social media freak?
This article is for you.
They peep inside your phone or desktop to discover what you browse. During this sneak peek, they get everything that you save.
Yes, EVERYTHING-your credit card details, your passwords, and more credentials that belong to you only!
This shocking revelation was made in an article published on a recognised website.
An ex-Google engineer-Felix Krause uncovered this dark face of data mining. Various social media channels like TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook are consistently a part of this practice with bad intentions. These platforms are able to closely monitor what you (users) type inside its browser.
This news broke in the first week of September. However, the privacy researcher Krause specifically marked TikTok saying that it can track every single thing inside its own browser. It was a clear WARNING.
A layman can understand social media mining this way……
With the downloading, the apps subscribe to all keyboard strokes. It means that you just type or tap. They can discover your password, bank details, or whatever you input on the screen. With every click or tapping of the links, these channels collect data. And, the rest damage is done through automatic data mining, which goes on in the background.
However, this mining process is responsible for many revolutionary discoveries and innovations, such as fraud detection, reducing risks, errors & inconsistencies, etc. Simply put, data mining for business intelligence comes up with policing, tracking trends or customer behaviour, and other exceptional results.
But, this blockbuster revelation has shocked users. Krause specified that it’s like installing a keylogger on your devices to track whatever you explore. This is no less than a conspiracy against laymen.
The discoverer of this fact also confirmed that other social media like Facebook, Twitter, etc., also offer such in-app browsers. It means that are also engaged in tracking users’ behavior, but the user is not aware.
Now that the claim is echoing everywhere, Chinese-owned TikTok condemned this report. It strongly responded that collecting keystrokes and data mining through the intrusive software was wrongly described. Its purpose is to assist in debugging, troubleshooting, and performance monitoring of the app.
How Do Instagram and Facebook Mine Users’ Data?
The researcher Krause also claimed that apps like Instagram and Facebook introduce JavaScript code into third-party websites. These are problematic because they put users’ security and privacy at stake. These two channels belong to Meta, which is the biggest surveillance capital firm in the world. Despite being the biggest firm, it is also known for the wrong reasons. These are associated with illegal data collection via tracking of users’ and non-users’ data, and then, mining for intelligence.
This was actually surprising that people rely on an in-app browser inside any app. For real, there is no need for such an experience because you have the password manager, such as LastPass on Apple devices. You don’t have to save your username and password in any other browser. But, social media apps do require it.
How Does Data Mining Help Social Media?
Let’s say, you as a user explore Facebook, for instance. If smartly observed, its browser always launches links in its own browser. You can check the URL in the status bar. The word “Facebook” will be there, which indicates that it wants you to keep it inside. It actually wants to track what you do, or what you search. When you finish exploring any eCommerce store or article, you would still be there inside Facebook.
This is what Facebook wants you to follow. Just stay where it can target you as a customer while showing advertising on the basis of mining results. These results would be inspired by your own in-app experience.
Microsoft and Apple Don’t Mine User Info
The privacy researcher Krause confirmed that two tech giants called Apple and Microsoft are not indulged in this practice. A user can expect absolutely no mining when he browses through Apple’s Safari and Microsoft’s Edge. They are excellent at providing security and privacy during online experiences.
On the flip side, Google Chrome is also not behind social media. It focuses on making money through users’ data surveillance, which means collecting more and more information on users. This priority pushes it to compromise privacy. It keeps on tracking data for frequent mining and making money.
Now, it’s you (users) only who can protect themselves. You should strictly change settings and prevent mining by these channels.
Data Mining is Legal, but Unethical Use is Not
However, open source data can be scraped, and used for business intelligence. But, the real problem arises when the miner company misuses or involves in unethical use of the mining results. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is its biggest example.
Besides, there are multiple companies and organizations that are frequently getting data from different resources like in-built mobile apps, surveys, and other resources to draw patterns. The processes like data extraction through programming scripts or tools, processing, and then, drawing models are making it all possible. These are helpful in evolving machine learning algorithms, which ensure the successful execution of artificial intelligence.
To a certain extent, it’s good. It equips businesses with intelligence related to trends, potential risks, opportunities, and many other things. Many big companies or brands are now on the A-list because of this research and data mining support, which actually helps in assessing what you target.
But, this execution can be related to manipulating the organic thinking process of users. Simply say, the AI can easily anticipate users’ intent and then, provide such solutions or content that can push them to think as the manipulator company wants. This is actually threatening. In short, data mining results can be misused for damaging intuitive thinking. This is why it is dangerous.
Summary
Social media channels mine keystrokes, which means they discover what you explore, analyse your interest/intent, and then, throw a volley of advertisements that are inspired through that browsing journey. This is actually dangerous for the privacy of users.