Do Instagramers Have Privacy?

By James Bao

April 11, 2023

Instagram, like most other social media platforms, has a broader economic incentive that revolves around building connections between people, businesses, and content creators in the online world. By maintaining user engagement and gathering extensive data on user preferences, a large part of revenue facilitation comes from targeted advertising.

As a daily Instagram user, I couldn’t help but notice instances when my thoughts seemingly transformed into advertisements while scrolling mindlessly through the app. Intrigued by this phenomenon, I decided to download all the data that Instagram had collected on me:

A total of 31 separate folders were downloaded through Instagram, where each and every folder contained some sort of matter on my personal information, account activities, and account preferences. The data included information from my name, username, birthday, and contact details to the content I posted, my connections, likes, comments, and known locations…

While the findings mentioned above were understandable as a consumer, I found one specific category that struck critical thinking.

advertisers-using-your-activity-or-information.pdf

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This is a three-page list featuring 78 distinct companies that can target me for their ad campaigns, given the information and preferences associated with my Instagram account. These businesses span various industries, such as fashion, technology, entertainment, and travel, all catering to my interests and browsing patterns. Instagram’s algorithm then identifies my preferences and matches them with relevant advertisers. As a result, sure, the targeted approach benefits both the user and the advertiser, as it delivers a more personalized and engaging experience while optimizing the effectiveness of marketing efforts.

However, despite the numerous advantages that targeted advertising offers, one notable drawback is the lack of easy instructions or access to opt out of sharing personal data that doesn’t need to be shared. Although Meta is one of the more user-friendly platforms out there, many other companies need to do better at providing straightforward explanations and options. At times, I find it challenging to navigate the complex privacy settings and policies, which are typically buried deep within a platform or website’s interface or presented in legal jargon that is difficult to comprehend.

Additionally, having more personal data makes a social media platform more powerful in a variety of ways. Other than tailoring content recommendations and increasing user retention, the constant improvements of already established enterprises raise the entry bar into the technology market and create a competitive advantage for such corporates as it can attract advertisers and partners seeking to benefit from the platform’s extensive user base and demographic information.

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of 2018 introduced five rights that a Californian media consumer can execute:

Right to know Right to delete Right to opt-out of sale or sharing Right to correct Right to limit use and disclosure of sensitive personal information

This is not only an indication of steps toward greater transparency, but it’s also a symptom of generations realizing that the more personal data a party acquires, the more cash it holds in a game of Monopoly.