Have you ever wondered why certain ads seem perfectly timed, or why the shows recommended on Netflix always match your taste? It’s not a coincidence. Welcome to the world of the Internet of Behaviors (IoB), where your online habits, clicks, and choices aren’t just collected—they’re used to influence what you’ll do next.
This concept might seem straight out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s already a part of your everyday life. IoB takes the information from what you do online—what you shop for, what you watch, even what you pause to look at—and turns it into patterns. Businesses, websites, and even political campaigns use these patterns to nudge you toward making certain decisions. The question is: are these choices really yours?
Simply put, IoB is the way companies and organizations gather data about your behavior—like your shopping, watching, or browsing habits—and use that to predict and guide what you’ll do next. Think of it as a blend of behavioral psychology and technology, working together to influence your future choices.
The idea is to make things more relevant and convenient for you. For instance, your favorite shopping app shows deals on products you’ve browsed before, and your fitness app motivates you by tracking your daily activity. But there’s more to it than convenience—sometimes it can feel like you’re being steered toward choices you didn’t fully make on your own.
There are plenty of ways IoB makes life easier:
When it works well, it feels like the internet is catering just to you. It’s nice when your grocery app remembers your usual items or your playlist updates based on songs you love.
While IoB can offer convenience, it also raises some concerns. According to research from ExpressVPN, there’s a darker side to all this data tracking. The same tools that make life easier can be used to push you toward decisions that aren’t really in your best interest—or to collect more information about you than you might expect.
Here are some of the more troubling aspects:
The influence of IoB can be seen in many parts of life. Here’s how it plays out in areas you might not expect:
Ever wonder why you suddenly get emails about items you left in your cart? That’s IoB at work. Retailers watch what you browse, compare, and buy, using that data to tailor discounts or offer products that match your taste. They’ll even adjust prices based on what they know about your behavior.
Streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube learn your viewing habits over time. While this keeps the content relevant, it can also trap you in a bubble—recommending more of the same type of content, making it harder to explore new ideas or genres.
Political campaigns now use behavioral data to target specific messages to individual voters. Politicians customize ads to appeal to your personal beliefs and interests. While this might seem harmless, it raises questions about how much these tactics influence voting decisions.
As IoB becomes more powerful, it’s important to find a balance between its helpful features and the need for privacy. It’s not realistic to avoid all tracking, but being aware of it helps you make smarter choices. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:
The Internet of Behaviors (IoB) can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it makes life easier by personalizing everything from your shopping to your streaming. On the other hand, it can blur the line between convenience and control, making it harder to tell if your decisions are truly your own.
The next time you notice a perfectly timed ad or a recommendation that feels too accurate, take a moment to ask yourself: Am I choosing this, or was this choice made for me?
Understanding how IoB works puts you back in the driver’s seat. In a world where your actions are tracked and analyzed, being aware of these influences is the first step toward making informed, independent decisions.
