10. Really, really creepy
Google
Google, a service that most of us implicitly trust and use every day, became the creepy bad guy when it announced its new, EU-privacy-law-violating, privacy policy last month. It’s been selling our data behind our backs in secret. Not cool.
9. Really creepy
Facebook Face-Tagging
Face-recognition saw the big, scary Facebook machine tapping you on the shoulder saying, ‘hey, isn’t that John Smith in that picture?’ Terrifying. This one didn’t last long, and was pulled after a few weeks of public outcry.
8. Creepy
Target
The New York Times exposed the inner workings of Target’s data collection machine, which is so effective it knows when you’re pregnant. Target looks for such life-changing events as prime opportunities to change customers’ buying habits. Deducing your very personal secrets to make money when you’re a bit vulnerable? Very creepy.
7. Creepy
‘Going Social’
Some of the web’s most used platforms have ‘gone social’ and become integrated with Facebook. Cue public uproar when users discovered that every song they listened to on Spotify, and every article they read on The Guardian or Washington Post, was shared with their Facebook friends.
6. Quite creepy
Facial Recognition Advertising
As with Facebook’s tagging (creep factor: 9), users accept that advertisers know their demographic, but knowing what they look like seems to somehow be crossing that creepy line. Intelligent billboards on Oxford St are already detecting female faces to target their adverts.
Could we draw some kind of Creepy Line here?
5. Neutral
AMAZON, JOHN LEWIS SHOPPING RECOMMENDATIONS
Users have come to expect the reflective shopping recommendations that come as standard with online shopping platforms. These are generally seen as useful and unintrusive, and are often very accurate.
4. Quite cool
Shopkick
Shopkick sends you rewards for shopping- wahey! The app detects when a user has bought something from, or even stepped foot inside, a particular shop, and sends rewards for having done so.
3. Pretty cool
Clubcards/ Advantage Cards
Boots knows I buy a certain brand of shampoo and gives me a discount voucher for it, and I’m a very happy shopper indeed. I give them my loyalty and they reward me. Simple.
2. Very cool
Tastebuds.fm
Tastebuds is a reflective online dating services that syncs with last.fm to match users on the basis of their musical tastes and listening habits. Reflective data is used in a positive way– helping users find their soulmates! Very cool.
1. Really cool
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality resists feeling creepy by propelling users to their sci-fi fantasies, transforming them into Arnie in Terminator. Programs like Vuforia and Metaio reflect your real world situation, using GPS and cameras, and lets you manipulate it to create cool videos.