Roughly chronologically, this past Sunday:
- My iPhone logs when my alarm went off and how many times I pressed the snooze button.
- I send conversation data to Apple via iMessage. I also generate data about my location and device usage, which is possibly anonymized and sold/distributed to third parties.
- I adjust the temperature on my thermostat and take a shower, which sends data to Eversource to tell them how much energy I have used and how much they should bill me.
- I also use a shower speaker to listen to podcasts in the bathroom. My podcast app collects data on what I’m listening to, for how long, etc and shares it with third parties.
- Does the act of being alive count as a data point? By consuming resources and expelling waste, I am also producing data (e.g. environmental studies monitoring the production of CO2).
- When I take the bus to Allston, I share data with the MBTA about my (or, my CharlieCard’s) whereabouts.
- On the bus, I am also captured by the CCTV cameras. On my walk to/from the bus stop, I’m sure I am captured on other cameras as well.
- I’m sure I open my social media and email apps numerous times during this trip. Here, I create data that can be turned into information about my interests, my network, how I spend my time, where I am, and so on.
- I visit a coffeeshop where my partner works. I don’t give transaction data (because the meal is free) but, as my order is entered as a comp order, I generate data about the # of free meals being given out that day. That is also stored by the third party point-of-sale service.
- More cameras in the coffeeshop. Perhaps this footage goes to the owners, but I suspect it also goes to some sort of hosting service/server on its way back to those folks.
- Back at home, I open up my browser to look up a recipe for beef stew. My machine and browser collect data on me, as does the website I visit and any third-parties I bump into.
- I go to the grocery store and give Market Basket my transaction data as I buy some food. I also give my bank data about this transaction – perhaps they share that with third parties, too?
- I cook and give more data away, thru the same podcast and energy routes as before.
- While I eat and watch Netflix, I am creating data about my watch and browse patterns.
- Going to bed, I set my alarm for Monday morning – generating more data to be stored in my iPhone and passed on to Apple and others.