Companies tracking online shopping behavior without consent can lead to several potential harms for individuals. Firstly, it can result in a significant invasion of privacy. When companies track online shopping behavior, they can gather extensive data about an individual’s preferences, purchasing habits, and even personal information such as addresses and payment details. This can lead to the creation of detailed profiles, which may be used for targeted advertising or even sold to third parties without the individual’s knowledge or consent. Additionally, such tracking can also lead to an increased risk of identity theft and fraud, as sensitive information is collected and stored without adequate protection. Furthermore, the constant monitoring of online shopping behavior can lead to a feeling of surveillance and lack of autonomy, as individuals may feel that their every move is being scrutinized and analyzed for commercial gain.
To put it simply, imagine going to a physical store where every step you take and every item you look at is being closely watched and recorded by the store without your knowledge. Not only does this feel intrusive, but it also raises concerns about how this information is being used. Companies tracking online shopping behavior without consent is like having a salesperson follow you around everywhere, taking note of everything you show interest in and then using that information to try and sell you more things, even sharing that information with others without your permission. It’s a violation of your privacy and can make you feel like you have no control over your own shopping experience.
Please note that the provided answer is a brief overview; for a comprehensive exploration of privacy, privacy-enhancing technologies, and privacy engineering, as well as the innovative contributions from our students at Carnegie Mellon’s Privacy Engineering program, we highly encourage you to delve into our in-depth articles available through our homepage at https://privacy-engineering-cmu.github.io/.
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