…We are not just ourselves anymore. Each of us has a new, statistical self
living in databases around the world.
It’s those selves, uniquely identified bundles of behavior, that
marketers target and companies try to reach.
These are remarkable, distributed portraits of what we read, what we
eat, and where we sleep. When it comes
to our statistical selves, the difference between the NSA and private companies
such as Facebook or Google or Amazon.com lie in what the government can do with
the data it collects. It’s building
that giant index so that, if it needs to, it can actively cross the line
between your statistical self and your real, physical self. It’s the difference between “would you like
to receive local coupons for business you love?” and “why is there a van in
front of our house?” (p. 9)
Source:
Ford, Paul. “Getting to know our numerical
selves.” Bloomberg Businessweek, June 17-June 23, 2013.
businessweek.com
