Digital Media 101: Digital Marketing and Advertising - Targeted Advertising and Surveillance Capitalism Zuboff behavioral surplus

What It Is

Targeted advertising and surveillance capitalism refer to the practice of collecting and analyzing user data to deliver personalized advertisements and content. A canonical example is Facebook's use of behavioral surplus, as described by Shoshana Zuboff in her 2019 book "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism." Facebook's algorithm uses user data to create detailed profiles, which are then used to target ads and content. This matters for understanding digital culture, platform design, and the digital economy, as it highlights the tension between user data collection and user consent.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Surveillance Capitalism: The business model of collecting and analyzing user data to create value. (Zuboff 2019)
• Behavioral Surplus: The data collected from user behavior, such as clicks, searches, and purchases. (Zuboff 2019)
• Targeted Advertising: Ads delivered to specific users based on their interests, demographics, or behavior.
• Personalization: The practice of tailoring content or ads to individual users based on their data. (e.g., Netflix's content recommendations)
• Customization: The practice of allowing users to choose their own settings or preferences. (e.g., Facebook's news feed settings)
• Filter Bubble: The phenomenon of users being shown content that reinforces their existing views, rather than challenging them. (Pariser 2011)
• Echo Chamber: A situation where users are only exposed to content that agrees with their views, rather than being exposed to opposing views.
• Native Advertising: Ads that are designed to look like regular content, rather than traditional ads. (e.g., sponsored posts on Facebook)
• Sponsored Content: Content that is paid for by a brand, but is not clearly labeled as an ad.
• User Data: Information collected about users, such as their demographics, behavior, and preferences.
• Data Broker: A company that collects and sells user data to third parties.
• GDPR: The General Data Protection Regulation, a European Union law that regulates data collection and use.
• Right to be Forgotten: The right of users to have their personal data deleted from online platforms.
• Cookie: A small piece of data stored on a user's device to track their behavior.
• Tracking Pixel: A small piece of code that tracks user behavior on a website.

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Targeted advertising is the same as personalization.
• Correction: Targeted advertising is a broader concept that includes personalization, but also involves delivering ads to specific users based on their interests or demographics. (e.g., Google's AdWords platform)
• Misunderstanding: The filter bubble is the same as the echo chamber.
• Correction: The filter bubble refers to the phenomenon of users being shown content that reinforces their existing views, while the echo chamber refers to a situation where users are only exposed to content that agrees with their views. (e.g., a study by the Pew Research Center found that 64% of Americans are in a filter bubble)
• Misunderstanding: GDPR only applies to European Union citizens.
• Correction: GDPR applies to any company that collects and uses the data of EU citizens, regardless of their location. (e.g., Facebook's GDPR compliance efforts)

Quick Application / Identification

Scenario: A social media platform uses a user's browsing history to deliver targeted ads. What is the concept at play here?

Answer: Targeted Advertising. This is an example of the platform using behavioral surplus to deliver ads to the user based on their interests.

Last?Minute Revision

• Shoshana Zuboff's book "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" (2019)
• Facebook's use of behavioral surplus
• GDPR's "Right to be Forgotten" clause
• The difference between filter bubble and echo chamber
• The concept of surveillance capitalism
• The distinction between native advertising and sponsored content
• The role of cookies and tracking pixels in data collection
• The concept of data brokerage
• The importance of user consent in data collection
• The difference between personalization and customization
• The concept of behavioral surplus