Just like computers have cookies, Google has browser history and social media prompts you with ads based on your searches; your credit card company has you right where they want you! Credit card companies have software programs to track buying habits. Every time you swipe your credit card, data is collected by a company whose job is just that- to collect info about you. Information such as where you shop, what you purchase and how often. Companies are then able to establish consumer trends, on you specifically. They are able to sell this information, based on data and assumptions to businesses who want to market to you based on gender, age, political affiliation, hobbies, geographic location and other specifics. Brainstorm a list of details that companies would pay big money to find out about potential consumers. Read the article attached and take notes about the type of information that companies are looking for.
Analyze the list that you created and determine which pieces of information you would be willing to make public and which items you would rather keep private. At the end of the article, author Bluth gives the reader suggestions to keep your data from reaching these companies. Design a small card, like a business card, that adults and teens could keep in their wallets to remind them to be safe and smart consumers.
Florida Literacy Standards: SS.912.FL.2.2: Analyze situations in which when people consume goods and services, their consumption can have positive and negative effects on others. SS.912.FL.6.9: Explain that loss of assets, wealth, and future opportunities can occur if an individual’s personal information is obtained by others through identity theft and then used fraudulently, and that by managing their personal information and choosing the environment in which it is revealed, individuals can accept, reduce, and insure against the risk of loss due to identity theft. |
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January 2022
CategoriesAuthorDeborah Kozdras, Ph.D. |