There’s a reason Big Tech knows us so much better than we think – each of us is far more normal than we realise
Among the creepier experiences of modern life is one that happens to me, though definitely not just me, on a regular basis: I’ll meet a friend for a drink, he’ll recommend some book or film or product he thinks I’ll like, and then, within days – without searching for it online – I’ll start seeing targeted web ads for it. No wonder there’s a persistent rumour that Facebook uses the microphone in your phone to eavesdrop on your conversations. That’s almost certainly false: the truth is that apps and websites already vacuum up so much of your data, they’ve no need for such schemes; it just feels that they must be eavesdropping. But there’s another reason Big Tech knows us so much better than we think, which is that each of us is far more normal than we realise.
Given a little information about me, both Facebook and my friend alight on the same recommendation because my constellation of interests is far less special, and thus more predictable, than I’d like to believe.
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