Algorithms And How They Use Our User Data

by: COMMANDER ENTERPRISE

Algorithms have become critical these days for anyone working with interactive and high-traffic websites. That’s especially true for sites that have search engines and handle complicated data on a daily basis. It has proven useful in the drive for more intelligent web info processing.

The way it works with organising big blocks of data at a time is the key factor. Most of the data is direct from users and processed in many different ways by the sites and its algorithms.

It is particularly important for both that site’s data processing functions and also (more importantly) its advertising and marketing. Of particular interest is the advertising part, for it is where money is made and data analysis becomes a little more important. It plays a major role today for many websites and is a integral part of their operations.

However, we really don’t see other processes that use our data and how it’s used back on us without our full understanding. Its wide and advanced capabilitie are already a powerful data engineering tool that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Algorithms to Study Customers?

An algorithm is as clearly stated thus, a set of processes done in a chronological order (a mathematical term). In terms of its use today on the web, it’s a program or app that contains specific sets of processes to perform.

Before, tasks could be programmed or encoded, but with the demands of more complicated data, interactive website content, and functions, algorithms were made to step up the game. It also made maximised use of all the data coming in to be used directly by the site.

The information processed by algorithms could serve two ways. One is for that site’s functions, mostly for information inputted, along with search terms and keywords used. Some of the other details of the user may also be included whether it may be from inputted data, or indirect data such as location based on IP, and other details.

This data is used for matching, profiling, survey analysis, grouping, and all other processes that make use of the words and terms entered, to be used back by the site. This includes Advertising, which is considered an important and separate category. With this, in a way, its system analyses information and “thinks up” these results for us based on data processing and calculation.

How Do Algorithm Programs Use The Data

Based on the user’s online behavior, search items and terms used, items viewed, links clicked, interests, sites visited, affiliate sites checked, and all other online activity, the user receives ads and other direct advertising. These are more in line with his or her interests or related to things of interest or those browsed that day.

It is considered more effective, as the interest level in those ads will be completely related to the interests and topics browsed. It is also directly delivered to the right audience at the right time, making it more interactive and real-time. All information gathered from this is also applied in email advertising and app developments.

The algorithms created also serve to do a few more functions, such as recommending other content and predicting online browsing behavior. This is also based on sites visited, links clicked, specific search items within sites, and within search engines such as Google (who use complicated algorithms to help with their data).

When we check on content and other pages of interest, we automatically receive affiliate links to check out, some of which are related to the browsing activity, and some as recommendations of the algorithms. Sometimes it will predict our next step online, and try to anticipate our search behaviors. Either way, it generates web traffic, which makes the online advertising world go round.

The content generated by companies and websites that show up on Facebook feeds is ranked and organised due to their popularity, pulling power, and the search terms associated with them. Often, they are shown as related or affiliated site content on the main site, when someone checks out a link or site content posted on their feed.

This was in turn posted there after an initial algorithm analysed the last search terms and browsing habits done by that person. These rankings offer more opportunities to these sites, and generate more traffic hits, based on their popularity and ranking.

Using User Information

What goes on in an algorithm is some sort of complex analysis that bases recommendations and direct advertising and marketing on the online behavior of the person, all search terms and keywords used, and visited sites. This is evident on Facebook, as well as on merchant sites like Amazon and eBay. Even someone’s favorite online shopping site has its own internal algorithms that predict and recommend based on the user’s preferences and search term items. Most of it is wholly based on what information the person willingly entered, plus other indirect information from using that site or web app.

Other things considered are the user’s details themselves, such as location, age group, and other applicable personal data, direct and indirect, which many believe is a minor form of online privacy breach. Yes, they do use this combination of personal information and online behavior to bring direct advertising and marketing strategies to the person for more sales and website traffic. But we don’t have any information on how they use this, and to what extent it is used. Most of it happens behind the scenes, internally.

With the advancement of algorithms and complex web data, the need to use this data and how it is used by the algorithms in place today can be a concern to many users. How can there be protection from the information they’ve gotten from us?

After all, the way the information received from us is used to mirror what content and ads show many details about us, and these can lead to potential issues.

So far, the most complex functions by web algorithms are mainly for direct advertising and marketing, and a few functions that provide a safe, basic profile of the user for the algorithm to “know” that person.

However, most of the unknown processes we can’t see go beyond the public facade. Advanced tech these days already has a deep profile on all of us. We already know our data is held, saved, and used for many unseen purposes. But to what further development and to what extent it can be used remains to be seen.

Some have speculated that data from social media was already used for political-related movements. There are also analysis reports linking social media algorithms to engineer customised news and even fake news and disinfo to influence audiences.

There have been calls to regulate these systems but many of them are in place and are continuously advancing and accelerating in scope and abilities. How often have you observed an ad appearing online after talking about it on a chat or phone call, or even searching for it or even after listening to an album related to it? Are we sure algorithm systems are accessing more than just our online activity, or our whole phones and computers? It’s a classic case of your info being used on you for many different purposes, not just marketing.