The Internet of Behavior involves analyzing data to gain a better understanding of users' behavior, interests, habits, and preferences. This is achieved through two technologies: the Internet of Things and Big Data.
Mariel Feder, a professor in the Software Engineering department, gave a lecture open to the public on June 9, 2021, to introduce this topic to anyone interested. The lecture was organized by the IEEE and the Project Management Institute of Uruguay.
The School of Engineering reached out to the professor to explore the topic in greater depth and learn more about how the data is used and for what purposes, what ethical and social implications it entails, and what laws exist to regulate this technological trend.
“The IoB uses facial recognition, location tracking, physical activity monitoring, the digital footprint we leave on social media, as well as analysis of our consumption habits to interpret how we behave and perhaps also what we need or want,” explains Feder.
The goal is to paint a picture that is closer to reality—in other words, to achieve segmentation that is virtually individualized. Feder emphasizes, “This isn’t science fiction; a well-known example was the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal, which combined data and behavioral analysis with strategic information sources before and during the electoral process to influence the elections.”
For this violation, Facebook was fined $4.5 billion by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, and the penalty also included a requirement to report to U.S. authorities on the data protection measures it is implementing to prevent future abuses.
There are also examples closer to home, “such as monitoring behavior during the pandemic, checking whether protocols or social distancing rules are being followed, and issuing alerts when violations occur, among other things.”
“Insurance policies where the premium could be calculated based on how the car is used—for example, the number of miles driven per day, driving style, or your accident history,” says Feder.
We voluntarily provide most of our data when we access services from various providers such as Google, Apple, or others, when we download apps, or when we accept long and complex terms and conditions that we don’t read or understand. Doing so makes our daily lives easier and can even encourage healthy habits through fitness or health apps.
Is it acceptable for them to use our data? Can we find out how it’s being used? Are there laws to protect us, and how aware is society of this issue?
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How aware do you think we are, as a society, of the Internet of Things?
In my opinion, very few people are aware of this point. Although there are already some people thinking about the issue, they are still few in number, and since it is a complex matter, these are not questions that the average person asks, but rather those posed by specialists in the field who understand the ramifications of using artificial intelligence.
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As users, how can we find out how our data is being used?
We should be able to know, but in practice, the reality is that we don’t. It is very difficult to track how our data is used because it circulates through so many channels, both directly and indirectly, and even due to illegal security breaches.
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In your talk, you mentioned the European AI Act of April 2021, one of the few regulations in place regarding the use of artificial intelligence. Where does Uruguay stand on this issue?
In Uruguay, we have a very strong personal data protection law that requires companies to protect third-party data and to use it only with the user’s consent and for the purposes authorized by the user.
The problem is how we apply this law to foreign megacorporations, or how we know if it is being followed. As far as I know, there are no restrictions in Uruguay on the use of artificial intelligence algorithms, which is a separate issue from the topic of personal data
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At the end of the lecture, you ask how free we really are. Do you have an answer?
That’s a difficult question. It’s hard enough to define what it means to be free, so the answer is a personal one. First of all, I agree with Octavio Paz when he says, “Without democracy, freedom is a chimera.”
Social media has expanded our freedom of expression. On the other hand, in a way, we are giving up a certain degree of our right to privacy. And sometimes, depending on what we post, we are infringing on the privacy rights of others.
Furthermore, in theory, every human being makes their own decisions. But these decisions are also based on a set of preconceived ideas that stem from their own convictions and the information they receive from their surroundings. If this information is in some way directed, are we still free when it comes to making decisions? When it comes to voting? When it comes to choosing one brand over another? As Bob Dylan says: “Nobody is free; even the birds are chained to the sky.”