Coincidental?

COINCIDENTAL? NOT!

Have you ever wondered why when you type something into a search bar online, you are later bombarded by products that fit that search? Or, when you are talking to a friend about buying a new car or some cool new shoes, you suddenly see thousands of YouTube videos, Google ads, and mobile ads related to “new cars that are popular with Baby Boomers”, or “comfortable shoes for seniors”? NO, this is not just coincidence!

This is a very sophisticated mechanism to target the ads to people like us, who provide personal information while using digital technologies and are unaware of how this information is being used. Our personal information is collected from our computers and phones when we browse online. It can also be collected by social media companies.

For example, on Facebook (Meta) we include our name, age, and location, history, careers, etc., as well as a lot of photos of ourselves, friends and family. This information is stored in a database and each person has a digital footprint or “personal file”!

Is this Legal to Share our Personal Information?

In the beginning of Facebook (around 2003-2004) the Privacy Policy specifically stated your information would not be shared. But in March of 2018, a scandal exposed Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, after discovering that Facebook sold personal information of 87 million Facebook users, without their consent. The scandal involved the harvesting of personal data by Cambridge Analytica through a personality quiz app. This data was then used for political advertising and targeting. Yes, that is correct! 

The story broke in March 2018 with reports in two U.S. newspapers. Both media outlets revealed that Cambridge Analytica had acquired data from millions of Facebook users without their consent. Their claims said this data was then used for political advertising and targeting. 

Facebook faced consequences for its improper handling of user data and was heavily criticized by the public for allowing the political consulting firm to improperly access the personal data of millions of Facebook users. Facebook faced lawsuits and congressional hearings, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg eventually testifying before Congress. Facebook and its fraudulent privacy practices caused millions of users to cancel their accounts, and their stock dropped significantly. This discovery also led to investigations by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other regulatory bodies. Ultimately, Facebook paid a record-breaking $5 billion settlement with the FTC. Unfortunately, the 87 million users (me and you) did not see a dime of that money, but suffered the consequences anyway.

It is very important to understand what is safe to share online, and what you shouldn’t share. For example, when you go on that wonderful vacation with your family, or as a couple, wait until you return before you share those amazing photos! This literally opens your front door to burglars.

What can we do about it?

The good news is that you do have CONTROL OVER your information and can request to have it removed from the big Data Brokers that purchase and resell our personal information. There are a few legitimate programs that will send removal requests for you, like PENTESTER.COM, owned by Ryan Montgomery, the notorious hacker who reported child abuse crimes to the FBI and other law enforcement, and now helps law enforcement take down child predators. Another is PERMISSION SLIP, owned and created by Consumer Reports, an independent, non-profit organization focused on consumer rights and privacy. There are many others available.

In the state of California, The Delete Act (SB 362), established the Delete Request and Opt-out Platform (DROP), which was signed into law in October 2023. While the law was enacted then, the DROP system officially launched and became available for consumers to submit deletion requests on January 1, 2026. It is reported that One request will reach 500 registered data brokers. Hummm… Should every state in the U.S. have such a law? Absolutely! Why not?

You can also request that Google provide [Download] and/or remove [Delete] all of your personal information, search history and other data they have stored. Read their Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to determine your rights and remove your data.

Join one of our FREE Online Safety Workshops in St. Tammany Parish to learn how!