Who do they think you are?

A game about data privacy.

QR Code for https://hidden-selves.wove.co

The game is designed for mobile phone. Please scan the QR code above with your phone to play. There’s no need to install an app or download anything - it will play in your browser.

All data tracking in this game is for illustration purposes only.

No personal data is tracked or measured as you play.

Before we play…

On a scale of 1 to 10, how concerned are you about how companies collect and share personal data?

OK let's begin…

Everything we do in the digital world is tracked. When we use an app, visit a website or use an online service, our actions and choices are aggregated and used to create detailed profiles about who we are.

But what do these profiles say about us?

And who's creating them?

Meet the brokers

Data brokers are part of a sophisticated, hidden industry buying up personal data and then selling it to advertisers, political parties and even scammers looking to influence us, often without our knowledge or consent.

Follow one person's fictional day and discover what data brokers can learn from just a few simple decisions.

Phone alarm at 7am
1/5 It's 7am. Your alarm goes off. You grab your phone. What's your first move?
Bright computer screen causing headache
2/5 It's 2pm. You notice a weird headache. What do you do?
Wearing an old pair of runners with holes
3/5 It's 3pm. You need new runners. How do you shop?
Mobile phone with cash transaction declined
4/5 Month-end. You're a bit short on cash. What do you do?
Eating out at a restaurant
5/5 Weekend. You're just finishing an amazing meal. What do you do?

Ok great stuff

You've made your choices and shared your data. Data brokers tracked every decision, packaged it into a personal profile, and are now looking to sell it to organisations looking to influence you.

Let's take a look at what they categorised you as…

So what?!

We only tracked 5 simple data points to create your fictional profile — which isn't enough to reveal anything meaningful.

In reality, data brokers collect millions of points about you over years and years, categorising you into real profiles such as “money motivated”, “credit hungry card switcher” or “deprived urban family”.

What else?

It's not just the obvious stuff that gets tracked, such as what you buy, like and share. It's far more detailed: The angle you’re holding your phone at, DMs and comments you write but never post, how long you take to choose films to stream, which of your friends you reply quickest and slowest to—it can all get tracked and packaged into detailed profiles to sell.

In fact…

In the US, by the time a child turns 13, more than 72 million pieces of personal data have been collected about them on the internet, creating comprehensive behavioural profiles from birth (Mozilla Foundation).

Closer to home

A recent RTÉ Prime Time investigation revealed data brokers are selling Irish citizens' minute-by-minute location data—revealing where they live, work and regularly visit. This highly sensitive data sale violates the EU’s GDPR, which demands explicit consent. (More on this in our resource pack.)

What can you do?

We've made this simple game to raise awareness around data tracking and the science behind it.

To help you dig deeper into the subject, we’ve created a little resource pack containing videos, articles and privacy tips.

Last thing

After playing this game, on a scale of 0 to 10, how concerned are you about how companies collect and share personal data?

What next?

Explore the resource pack Play again