Data Privacy Through the Eyes of Target

     While Target has impressive technological methods to predict many consumer behaviors, their need for profit is concerning, especially when it comes to the fairness approach. The companies at the top that can afford to get analytics on consumers leads to an unfair balance of what consumers see in their promotional advertisements, especially if they do not know what they want yet. 

     For many people in transitional situations (such as graduation, pregnancy, marriage, etc.), people are more prone to explore new options and aim to get the best option possible. However, it is not fair that distribution is unequal with all companies. For example, I buy hay food option #1 for my pets. While lesser known, I chose option #1 after I have already done my research. Option #1 is healthier and costs less compared to other products. However, I have gotten promotions from Target in the past promoting for hay food option #2 which is more expensive and less healthier. Since it is more popular with my type of pets and probably has a financial leeway with Target, I get these types of promotions which does not benefit me at all. 

     Moreover, what if my pets pass away and I continue to receive promotions? Receiving only food related promotions for my pets is also unequal to the rest of the products in Target. Target can not sell all of its information to every single company, because every company would have it; therefore, creating the same competitive space as before. The advertisements should be equal though (like how the case discusses the company mixing baby products with the rest of advertisements to create the illusion of randomness), not just customized to me in order to protect privacy. 

     While I might enjoy tailored promotions, Target needs to prioritize giving an opt-out option for those not wanting to be tracked and give users who do want target advertisements more options on what and when they should be targeted. There are people I know who love Target but can not trust the company without knowing what information they know and how they utilize it. A counter-argument many give is “If you have nothing to hide, what’s the harm?” If that’s the case, why can’t I ask for people’s passwords if they have nothing to hide? People might not trust me regardless of whether I am a nice person or not, so what is the difference between a company and I? There is no difference, but the main point is that using such information can put people in a disadvantage. I might be able to sway away from the promotions that Target or another company gives me, but what about someone else who can’t? The unequal situation can drive people, such as those who are children, financially unstable, addicted shopolics, to make regrettable decisions that might not be able to be overturned. 

     Ultimately, while Target has powerful tools to improve customer satisfaction, the unequal space will be at the cost of other customers and companies. Target needs to give options to customers on what they want, how, and when without sacrificing their right to make conscious decisions. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”