Internet profiling: The economy of data intraoperability on Facebook and Google

Abstract

This article investigates online profiling and data strategies by identifying and comparing data strategies of the two most visited internet companies, Google and Face- book. The aim of the article is to use media economics and management perspectives to enrich the discussion on profiling from a political economy perspective. The article maps differences in the data strategies of the services and the potential data collected through a data point analysis, and suggests conceptual distinctions between vertical and horizontal data strategies, touch point and social network, integrated and diversified application programming interface (API) structures, and relevance and reputation data strategy perspectives. Furthermore, the findings in the article suggest distinguishing among profiling for advertisers, developers, and government agencies. Addressing these stakeholders through the identified data strategic differences, the findings point to different implications for privacy, digital divides, algorithmic adoption, and societal segregation and intolerance.