The Context War began several years ago. It’s a spawn of the network effect, growing in impact as the major players are able to: A) amass more and more data about individuals, (B) to improve their analytics (C) implement algorithms that can reliably deliver what a citizen might perceive as “value in the moment.”
I designed the first version of this diagram long ago; the last update is above. Every citizen is potentially in the sights of these major combatants. Each is unlikely to be aware of how much contextual information is being gathered about them. But there are several efforts to educate and empower people to assert control of the data about their behaviors, habits, preferences.
A viable business model can be built to invert the current realtime advertising auction model online. Instead, every citizen’s mobile device can become a source for announcing an opportunity to bid on providing a service or goods to that citizen.
Competition in bidding leads to economies at every step, and the entire populace benefits.
For extensive material on this model, go to:
https://cyber.harvard.edu/projectvrm/Main_Page
and:
digi.me
and: