The Jordan Harbinger Show
1135: Sandra Matz | How Algorithms Read and Reveal the Real You
01 Apr 2025
Companies harvest 6GB of your data hourly. Psychologist Sandra Matz explains how they predict everything from depression to politics—and how to fight back.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1135What We Discuss with Sandra Matz:Companies collect ~6GB of data per hour on individuals through social media, credit cards, smartphones, and location tracking, enabling predictions about personality, politics, and mental health.Facebook identified depressed teenagers in 2015 and sold this information to advertisers rather than providing support, prioritizing profit over well-being.Algorithms need just 300 likes to know someone better than their spouse, while facial recognition can determine sexual orientation with 81% accuracy from facial features alone."Anonymized" data isn't truly anonymous — three credit card transactions can uniquely identify a person, revealing unintentional information beyond our curated online personas.Data co-ops offer a practical solution for regaining control. MS patients in Europe and Uber drivers in the US have formed co-ops to collectively manage their data, allowing them to benefit from data aggregation while maintaining ownership and directing outcomes toward their shared interests rather than corporate profit.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/dealsSign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Facebook in 2015 was actually accused of predicting whether teenagers on their platform were struggling from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and then they were selling them out to advertisers. So this is like someone at their most vulnerable state. Not only are they suffering from anxiety, they're also teenagers. They're still figuring out the identity.
So the moment that you tap into this vulnerability, the damage that you can do, I mean, it's very obvious.
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