Jessica Percy Campbell is a PhD candidate in the Political Science department at the University of Victoria. Her work is supervised by Dr. Colin Bennett and is funded by the Big Data Surveillance Project. Jessica completed her BA and MA in Sociology at Concordia University.
Her dissertation “Aging in Place with Google and Amazon” focusses on older IoT users and behavioral data collection for commercial purposes. Older adults are encouraged by marketers to use voice-activated digital assistants to help them live in their homes for longer. The collective claim is that tools like Alexa and Google Assistant can be used as digital companions, mobility aids, appointment reminders, and more. This research asks: how do older adults actually use smart speakers in Canada, and what are the privacy and surveillance implications of their use? Further, how is meaningful consent to collect personal data obtained when someone other than the primary user (such as a younger relative) configures these devices and "accepts" the terms and conditions?
In 2020, Jessica also received the AGE-WELL Michael F. Harcourt Policy Fellowship to help further support her work on technology and aging.
Report "Beyond Big Data Surveillance: Freedom and Fairness" sheds light on big data surveillance in Canada To read the report in English, go here To read the report in French,... Read more about @title...
