Brave New World Reboot: Technology’s Role in Consumer Manipulation and Implications for Privacy and Transparency

Most consumers are aware that our data is being obtained and collected through the use of our devices we keep in our homes or even on our person throughout the day. But, it is understated how much data is being collected. Conversations you have with your peers – in a close proximity of a device – are being used to tailor advertising. The advertisements you receive on your devices are uniquely catered to your individual person, due to the fact it consistently uses our data to produce efficient and personal ads. On the flip side, our government is also tapping into our technology to learn more about us as well. Generation Z refers to this as “the FBI agent living in our phone.” There is a phenomenon surrounding this topic and it is becoming common knowledge that our devices are listening to us. Whether or not people want this to happen, it is inevitable. While this appears incredibly daunting: “our phones routinely collect our voice data, store it in a distant server, and use it for marketing purposes” (Komando, 2019). There are many fuzzy areas when it comes to the legality of technology and the transmission of our personal information to third parties. Fundamental privacy rights, liability, and constitutional issues are just to name a few. While GDPR is an example of data privacy law that is tackling the issue comprehensively abroad, there is surprisingly not a satisfactory legal framework currently in place within the United States (Green, 2018). This research project is designed to explore the range in which consumers deem this phenomenon acceptable and where the tipping point lies in terms of this being beneficial or creepy. I have developed a three-stage approach to this research. Because data privacy issues are rampant, listening devices are ever present, and there is a lack of extant literature in this domain, I feel it is important to extend the traditional business research approach to include a multifaceted exploration of the domain.Accordingly, I will conduct a literature review in three core areas: the rise of technology, technological devices and transparency as a whole, and global landmark situations. Within this literature review, I will evaluate legal cases surrounding the matter and accumulate all relevant information concerning our technology’s underlying purpose within the privacy realm. Finally, I will build on these foundations to develop a survey of consumer expectations, utilizing existing academic scales of privacy, expectations, preferences, comprehension and protection (Maser, 2020; Naeini et al, 2017; Custers et al, 2014;) the research design will target cross-generational respondents to explore subgroup differences that I will analyze and deliver results on. Additionally, this research was supported through funding provided by the University of Arkansas Honors College and the State Undergraduate Research Fellowship program