If the accuracy of the data are not intrinsic to their value, then data brokers could literally just manufacture data. “Is this person X?” flips coin “yes!” Who are you to say otherwise? We have a vast network of blah blah data sources and advanced AI inferencing. They would absolutely do this if they could get away with it because it is dramatically cheaper.
Targeted ads exist. People find them “creepy,” which implies that they are targeted based on factual data. Therefore, we know that data brokers are taking the more expensive route and collecting factual data (or striving to). They would not do this without a profit motive. Perhaps their data are being compared with a competitor’s to enforce quality… we don’t really know. But we know that they value the quality of their data because their customers do. Consequently, it must be the case that deliberately polluting their data devalues their product and erodes their business model over time.
> If the accuracy of the data are not intrinsic to their value, then data brokers could literally just manufacture data. “Is this person X?” flips coin “yes!” Who are you to say otherwise? We have a vast network of blah blah data sources and advanced AI inferencing. They would absolutely do this if they could get away with it because it is dramatically cheaper.
Measuring the effectiveness of advertising has always been difficult. Targeted ads can be very effective at times, and at others do no better (or worse) than chance. The many clear failures of targeted advertising hasn't hurt the industry though and it isn't likely to either. Now companies are advertising AI as the new thing to increase their accuracy. How well that works for them remains to be seen.
Targeted ads exist. People find them “creepy,” which implies that they are targeted based on factual data. Therefore, we know that data brokers are taking the more expensive route and collecting factual data (or striving to). They would not do this without a profit motive. Perhaps their data are being compared with a competitor’s to enforce quality… we don’t really know. But we know that they value the quality of their data because their customers do. Consequently, it must be the case that deliberately polluting their data devalues their product and erodes their business model over time.