A woman lingers at a display of coffeemakers. Soon after, images of the very same contraptions festoon her Facebook feed, courtesy of her phone's GPS and store cameras.
A man diagnosed with a blood clot gets TV ads for a drug to prevent further episodes.
A person peruses ads for indoor herb gardens for a gift and is later bombarded with botanical options on social media.
People turn 65, and suddenly Joe Namath interrupts their favorite TV shows, with unending descriptions of Medicare Supplement plans.
Coincidences? Hardly. In this age of TMI, it can feel as if our very brains are being intrusively picked, constantly.
Even our DNA can be trolled for embedded preferences and habits, if we (sometimes unknowingly) provide permission.
How foreboding is the 'privacy crisis'?
Remi Daviet, Gideon Nave, and Jerry Wind, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, dissect "Genetic Data: Potential Uses and Misuses in Marketing," in a report in a special issue of the Journal of Marketing.
To continue reading, go to Genetic Literacy Project, where this post first appeared.