Are the advertisement in Gmail really breaching our privacy?
Saturday, October 10, 2009 by Tina
One of the tutorial question that we have discussed this week, which is whether people see the “context-sensitive advertisement” as a breach of privacy is very worthwhile to be brought up again. First all, it is really important to ask ourselves how we see consider the term “privacy”. Do we believe there is privacy in the internet? More and more people are using “Gmail” these days, because of its popularity and its special functions. However, people like me never pay attention outside the emails’ content, such as the funny faces that are located beside the “Font” function. Gmail to me is just another communication tool that belongs the Google Company. Just like other kind of emails, for example, hotmail, I never write any personal information or private message in those emails. Private to me is something that has to be talked on the phone and sometimes, face to face is even better since the phone conversation in today’s technological world is no longer a safe place to share private information either. Thus, there is no reason for me to think that the “context-sensitive advertisement” plays the role of breaching people’s privacy. If I have to put the “context-sensitive advertisement” is a negative way, the annoyingness might be my major concern and that only happens if I pay attention on them.
Nevertheless, people might still feel uncomfortable of their email contents are being “watched” by a random third party, that is the Gmail system. It is useful sometimes that when one really need help of something and those advertisements can be considered helps, but the concern of the reliability may raise in people’s mind. Therefore, it is complicated to put the “context-sensitive advertisement’ in a exactly place. If people use Gmail as their mean tool of communication that they always share their private lives or secrets with friends through email, then the advertisement existence will be a proof of beaching the privacy. On the other hand, if one does not position Gmail, or any kind of email as a important element of daily lives, the “contest-sensitive advertisement” can be seen as the same level as those pop up ads.