> Surveillance capitalism doesn't care at all about the accuracy of the data that they have
It’s clear and obvious that they do. If the data was made up, they wouldn’t be able to serve effective ads.
> If you're a 40 year old man, but your browser add-on convinces a data broker that you're a 34 year old woman seeking an abortion, that data can still cause you end up the target of a lawsuit in Texas and it will take a non-zero amount of time and money to clear that up
This situation would absolutely never happen, and I think it’s blatant fear mongering.
> If the data was made up, they wouldn’t be able to serve effective ads.
The data being collected about you isn't about advertising. It's used for an ever increasing number of things that impact your real life including things like how much you get charged when you buy things, what services you're told exist or are eligible for, how long you get left on hold, what policies a company will tell you they have, and who will hire you. The data being collected about you can be used against you by police, or in courtrooms, and in custody/divorce hearings.
Even when the data is used for advertising (along with scam attempts, the manipulation of your opinion, and political propaganda) "effectiveness" is a very uncertain thing. No one expects that everyone they target with a campaign will bite. The effectiveness and accuracy of targeted ads isn't exactly certain to begin with.
> With just one parameter - gender - the data is only 42% accurate. That is less accurate than if you just did “spray and pray” with no targeting at all — i.e. you would have still hit the right gender 50% of the time. With two parameters - gender plus age - the accuracy is down to an average of 24%. Some data brokers were far worse, with single digit percent accuracy. Third party profiling of audiences is so inaccurate, it’s better to save your money and do “spray and pray” instead. (https://www.forbes.com/sites/augustinefou/2021/04/19/ad-rele...)
> This situation would absolutely never happen, and I think it’s blatant fear mongering.
On the contrary, Texas in particular has gone out if its way to incentivize its citizens reporting other citizens for getting abortions. The law in that state creates an incentive for someone with the ability to do this, to do so.
What's special about the situation in Texas right now where humans at large will not follow the incentives placed in front of them for the first time in human history?
> Texas in particular has gone out if its way to incentivize its citizens reporting other citizens for getting abortions
That’s true, but if you, a biological man, were sued for having an abortion, this would be immediately thrown out. Indeed, even civil suits with their lower standard of evidence require more than a simple search history from data brokers.
Of course the case would be thrown out. But would it be thrown out without me having to do anything, or would it cause me to spend time and possibly money dealing with it? Especially if I had an androgynous name, there's a very real chance that I would have to physically show up in a courtroom somewhere to point out that I do not have a uterus.
It’s clear and obvious that they do. If the data was made up, they wouldn’t be able to serve effective ads.
> If you're a 40 year old man, but your browser add-on convinces a data broker that you're a 34 year old woman seeking an abortion, that data can still cause you end up the target of a lawsuit in Texas and it will take a non-zero amount of time and money to clear that up
This situation would absolutely never happen, and I think it’s blatant fear mongering.