Topic: Search history used to target individuals with specific ads

Research Question(s):

1) How can we maintain our privacy and prevent apps, such as facebook, from selling our information?

2) How is our search history used to target individuals with specific ads?

3) Could there be a breach in the “Terms & Conditions” rules?

4) Is our privacy violated when apps are using our information or data?

5) what is the contract companies have with one another in regards to consumer data?

Final Draft Proposal:

My research proposal will be based on how our own search history is used to target us with specific ads. I chose this topic because I find it very eerie how quick I receive ads after seconds of only searching them up. Not to mention, how long they last afterwards, months after said search was done! An example of this is; around the month of December looking up retroviewers for my best friend’s birthday. Months later and every now and then, my instagram gives me the occasional retroviewer ad. I also have looked into the “BarkBox” website and even offers discounts!

I would like to focus on the first question: How can we maintain our privacy and prevent apps, such as facebook, from selling our information?

In April of 2018, Facebook’s creator, Mark Zuckerberg had to testify to the US congress for selling user’s data and information to third party apps. He was thoroughly questioned during the days he testified and assured the congress, as well as users, that Facebook did NOT share private information with other apps.