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Inspired by a question I saw a while back, is it possible to make my data/online presence useless/undesirable to companies to purchase?

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[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 163 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

E-commerce vet here. It’s easier just to try and not give out that data and to pay to have it scrubbed. But, this thought experiment is fun, so here’s how you’d make your targeting data complete trash.

—-

The most valuable thing about your data is your behavior and demographic characteristics, not your identity.

When you fill out forms, pretend your gender, race, and age is fluid. Also, pretend you’re nomadic. Then behave erratic as fuck online - pay for bibles, butt plugs, taxidermy, and PETA donations

Your data will be absolute trash. You’ll also be miserable because you’re going to be visiting the Amazon drop off center with gag balls and porcelain Jesus figurines every week.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Maybe you should plan better and get the ball gags in Jesus's size so you can drop them off at the local cult

[-] horsey@lemm.ee 36 points 11 months ago

Sure. Wiggle your mouse, introduce randomness into your typing, and read about things you’re not interested in. It doesn’t matter though as they’ll still sell your info.

[-] atlasraven31@lemm.ee 11 points 11 months ago

Garbage in, garbage out.

[-] RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world 29 points 11 months ago

No. People are always going to pay for your data even if you make it incorrect.

[-] Chunk@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago

Yeah this. Google has no interest in determining if your data is real or not. They don't care. They only care that the customer isn't aware of the scam.

[-] dannoffs@lemmy.sdf.org 18 points 11 months ago

It's impossible to make your data completely unattractive to purchase but using something like the adnauseum extension on your browser can make your data less useful when it has been purchased.

[-] meco03211@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago
[-] Atemu@lemmy.ml 11 points 11 months ago

It's a uBlock Origin fork that "clicks" on any ad it comes across off-screen.

[-] ogwillikers@sh.itjust.works 15 points 11 months ago

AdNauseum plugin combined with VPN and private browser mode.

It's an ad blocker that clicks everything.

[-] southernbrewer@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

I've kind of always wanted to use AdNauseum, but since I still depend on my Google account somewhat I'm hesitant to give them reasons to delete me, and I've settled for blocking ads and supporting rival services.

Has anyone had their google account banned over this?

[-] Hazor@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Private browser mode in many browsers disables plugins by default, and also doesn't do anything to stop trackers or data collection. All private mode does is keep your activity private from others who also have access to your device (e.g. family members, roommates), by not saving browser history/cookies/etc.

Also, VPN's can be helpful, but there are ways to "fingerprint" individual users behind VPN's by how they move their mouse and click speed and what websites they visit etc.. I imagine plugins like AdNauseum could help with that. It's a clever idea, I'll have to check it out - thanks!

[-] ogwillikers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

Firefox can allow plugins in private mode. I only mentioned private mode because it ensures you're not logged in anywhere.

[-] Siegfried@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Is this chaotic neutral or chaotic evil?

[-] Hazor@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

I contend that it's chaotic good.

[-] pezmaker@sh.itjust.works 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

This is just my opinion, but I don't think so. I love the thought and wish there was, though. I think no matter what you do, it's still information about a potential user/customer and still tells someone looking at it about you. "Oh, we have information on about 4% of the population that wants to actively subvert our data analytics.". Obviously that's made up, I didn't bother trying to even guess what a potentially realistic number might be.

Again in my opinion, the only way to provide no value to data analytics is to not be a data point, and good luck with that. Best I've been trying to do is disable targeted ads anywhere I can, reset my identifier ids regularly on things like android tv where I can, and try to blast cookies anywhere possible. I don't know if it even makes a difference or just makes me feel better

[-] Delphia@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

Its super unpopular on Reddit and even less popular on here but... Have my data, i dont give a fuck.

What are you going to find out? I'm a straight white man approaching middle-age. I'm into DIY, cars that were cool 20 years ago, music that was cool 20 years ago, cooking on my bbq and trying desperately to avoid becoming old AND fat. I'm wearing New Balance runners and cargo shorts RIGHT NOW. I've become a complete caricature of a "Dad".

You think you can find some embarrassing shit with my porn history? Nope, Ill tell you what my jam is for free. I dont care.

I'm already tighter with my money than a dolphins asshole. Put the prices up, I just wont buy it. I'm on a playthrough of a 22yo videogame on a pc I built with second hand parts because fuck paying $130 for a brand new AAA title.

What are "they" going to mine from me?

[-] wowwoweowza@lemmy.ml 3 points 11 months ago

This is the answer. Clarity and frugality. It doesn’t matter that they can make accurate predictions of your interests if you simply never click.

[-] Delphia@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

The expression "a fool and his money will soon be parted" or a variation of that was first published in 1573.

"A foole & his money, be soone at debate: which after with sorow, repents him to late."

If you cant go on facebook without buying some T-shirt for $40 because some targeted add knows you're all about Pickle Rick right now. The problem isnt targeted advertisement.

[-] pezmaker@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 months ago

You basically described the other half of me right here. I waffle back and forth between your view and trying to do something about it. I go back to feeling it's futile and doesn't matter anyway, before getting fed up with targeted ads again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

[-] Delphia@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I'm aware of it, thats how I fight back.

Ive needed new day to day runners for months, the inner heel is shredded and the soles have very little tread but I havent seen anything I like on a decent sale yet. I know the prices on most of the shit I want and on all the shit I need.

Now my facebook regularly shoves adds for shoes at me 365 days a year. The last pair of new all purpose runners/training shoes I bought retailed for $150 - $200, I saw a targeted advertisement for 25% off and I clicked on it and I got a pair thats usually $160 for $120 did they win or did I win?

[-] Ilovethebomb@lemmy.ml 2 points 11 months ago

I'd say they did, nobody actively advertises a product they don't want to sell, unless it's some type of loss leader.

Of course, you got cheap shoes out of it, so perhaps you both won?

[-] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world -1 points 11 months ago

I'm already tighter with my money than a dolphins asshole.

Very nicely put :-)

But still an illusion. You are still a true and well adapted consumer, connected to all your pipes in The Matrix.

Saying that you are tight is equal to saying that you feel powerless, because all your money=power is owned by somebody else.

You are actually consuming. You are actually spending your money. You feel like you have no choice, but you have - if you only recognized it.

[-] gmtom@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Companies don't purchase specific user data they purchase datasets.

Like reddit will says "we have x amount of user and here is what data we collect on them" you can access this data for $Y"

So and then those companies use that data to show you personalised ads or whatever and do a fuck ton, like and obscene amount of data analysis on it and your habits to see if it was worth the cost and will renovate with reddit the price to access their data.

So one individual user going weird won't do anything. But if you made a ton of bots and made them act weird you might be able to make the dataset worth less. But honestly probably not that much as they have tools to filter bots and stuff.

[-] linearchaos@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Unlink it from yourself. It's harder than you'd think. Use a privacy respecting browser with privacy badger installed and tor or VPN. Use generic credit cards. Use burner emails and phone numbers.

If none of your stuff is linked together and none of it is linked to you, it's not worth much, someone will buy it, but it'll be one of a billion useless records in a huge low quality dump.

[-] Chunk@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

It depends on who you're hiding from. If you want to keep the GRU off your back then burner phones sound great. If I don't want Google to know too much about me then burner phones, generic credit cards, and tor are probably overkill.

[-] linearchaos@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Yeah was just trying to make the personal data worth as little as possible.

Any site you use a card on will link you in Nexus. That stuff is gold.

Even the best privacy browsers leave a fingerprint. You can run the acid test and see how unique you are. Even Firefox private browsing isn't enough to disassociate your traffic from non private.

The problem with VPN is it's somewhat static. Tor spreads your crap out.

But as you say, it's who you're trying to hide from. If you don't want anyone to profit of you, you hide from them all as much as you can.

[-] Chunk@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

You made me think that there should be a private tor-inspired VPN. Users pay money to the VPN company and that VPN company pays 3rd parties to build out their network.

[-] otter@lemmy.ca 6 points 11 months ago

There are browser extensions that fill up your data/presence with meaningless junk

[-] sparky678348@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago
[-] otter@lemmy.ca 7 points 11 months ago

I was hoping someone else would comment since I don't use it myself

I think it's this

https://github.com/dhowe/AdNauseam

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

Don't worry it probably already is.

[-] redballooon@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

Meta and Google disagree.

[-] CookieOfFortune@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

There’s definitely less valuable demographics but I doubt it would be completely worthless, you’d just be cheaper to advertise to.

I mean it might make it seem like you’re more valuable and then never buy anything, some companies would be paying more to show you ads but get less return, so you’d be costing them more money.

[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

I use generated email/usernames everywhere I’m forced to login, in the hope they can’t connect all the dots. Don’t know if it works though.

[-] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago

I work in marketing, had an issue the other day someone did something weird by browsing our site with a personal email address and worked out the naming conventions we use to jump the sign up form for an in-person event and went straight to the thank-you page to get the details.

So then we had his personal email (which we didn't want!) and had to connect it to his work email in the CRM to connect his profile.

So, for the general use cases it would work, but someone that is trying to connect the dots probably could.

this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2023
107 points (96.5% liked)

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