Protecting Your Digital Footprint - Jennifer Golbeck

Every internet search and purchase from online retailers teaches large companies like Google, Amazon and Target a little bit more about consumer behavior. Jennifer Golbeck, Director of University of Maryland's Computer Interaction Lab, explains that based on the collective behaviors of millions of logged searches and purchases, the companies are increasingly adept at deciphering data to the point that they can identify pregnant women from the vitamins they buy, to estimating a person's intelligence based on the Facebook pages they've "liked". Golbeck says that they can do this, as well as piece together any other number of personal details, with alarming accuracy. She outlines the issues with data hoarding companies, and proposes a few consumer behaviors that can help the public control their data more tightly.