Why Instagram?
I think back to when I downloaded the instagram app around 8 or 9 years ago. To a preteen trying to find any source of independence or wanting to hop onto the next popular trend all of peers were a part of. I didn’t realize that my instagram account was monitoring me just as much as I was monitoring it, if not more. After I was given this assignment, I went the route of downloading everything Instagram knows about me since I use that app the most.
Years of Information
Unsurprisingly, I had a pretty hefty file and I was pretty curious to see what all encompassed it. For starters, it accumulated all of the comments I made on various posts dating back to 2015 which definitely surprised me but as I was looking through them, I was confused as to why it had some of the media owners listed and some not. I assumed it was maybe because the post was deleted. Not that I said anything problematic in any comments I made on different posts but I understand more clearly just how damaging one’s digital footprint can be for them now that this act is in place.
Rights for Different States?
I am an out-of-state student so I wasn’t even aware that I had rights under California law such as being able to delete personal info the app may have collected from me and the choice to decide whether or not I want my personal information to be sold and/or shared. I think this law enacted by California is a really good indication that we are heading in the right direction towards having the authority over our personal information. I did some research to see if my home state (Georgia) has enacted anything similar and they tried to enact a law that mimicked California’s’ but it fell through. I think this is where a weak spot has been pinpointed because the state you live in shouldn’t be the determining factor of whether or not you have autonomy over what occurs with your personal information when using an app.
Guilty as Charged!
It’s true! I benefit from instagram collecting my data and I’m not ashamed of admitting it. It has its positives and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t indulge in them. While analyzing the records that the app had collected in records to items I had looked at and for how long I had looked at certain items and/or posts, I wasn’t surprised that a majority of it was clothing. To add onto that, their track record of my activity when I’m not on the app was pretty accurate (e.g. Amazon, Macys, Mielle hair, etc.) and I see why now I receive so many advertisements for those businesses specifically.
Why is it Important to Them?
To be honest, it does creep me out that they specifically keep an eye on other media I entertain when I am not on the Instagram app. For example, the link history they keep that details sites I have visited and the exact start and end times for my time on the link. It makes me ask “why do they need that?” I assume it’s for economic advantages in terms of what deals they decide to make with certain ads but it is just so weird. I think it’s good in the sense that I can find some products easier like how I was waiting for cleaning supplies to be on sale to order some and then instagram shows me an Amazon ad for deals on cleaning supplies. I was around 13 when I downloaded the app (of course not knowing I was signing my personal information away and the implications of that) and it makes me ask the question “Would I have read the Terms of Use if I got the app now as a 20 year old?”
A Journey Through Media 