Last month, my astrology app told me to investigate the debt industry.
This mysterious but oddly pointed instruction was a far cry from the veiled, flowery language I'd seen on other zodiac sites. It was direct. It was concise. And, especially because I'd just paid my student loan bill, it was kind of eerie.
I'm not the only one who's been weirded out by Co – Star's push notifications. Though the feature hasn't been rolled out to all the app's users (yet, at least), those who have it enabled have seen a truly wild range of personalized messages. They've been encouraged, for example, to read specific books (including one by the psychiatrist R.D. Laing), to research Big Pharma, and to "start a cult."
Understandably, this has elicited some discussion among users. How does Co – Star come up with these messages? How do they choose to whom they're sent? And do they know when I log on to FedLoan?
According to Banu Guler, one of the app's founders, the Co – Star team relies on data from NASA coupled with an AI program that mimics the approach of an actual astrologer. The result, she told Mashable, is a highly personalized astrological experience that was previously only accessible to people who hired (expensive) professionals.
"Every angle has an astrological meaning. Every single planet has an astrological meaning. Every sign and every house has an astrological meaning," she said. "What we do is take all of that data and cluster it to try to make sense of it, because if we just handed you all the transits, it's just way too much information to scroll through."
And the app's copy -- including the push notifications -- is intended to differ from the content on other horoscope sites. Co – Star's aim, Guler explained, is to give people an experience that reflects how they'd discuss astrology with friends.
Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!"A lot of the astrology stuff you read on the internet seems like it's written for strange people who don't live like us," she said. "It's pretty corny, it's kind of superficial. It pays attention to strange things. Like . I have never wondered what lottery ticket numbers might be lucky for me."
(I have wondered this and do not consider myself a strange person who does not live like others, but I'll admit that lottery tickets are not a primary worry.)
Instead, Guler wants Co – Star to refer to the things she surmises users actually talk about instead of broad, vague concepts. (I suppose I have had a nonzero number of conversations about cults in the past month.) This approach makes sense when you consider the tone of the notifications: They're written in plain language and fairly grounded in modern reality, but they're still esoteric enough to be compelling. It doesn't necessarily explain some of the subject matter, but it makes sense that astrology copy would, to some extent, remain shrouded in mystery.
As an example, Guler explained why Co – Star had alerted me about the debt industry. "If your Mercury -- your thinking and communication -- is at 100, go investigate something," she said. The debt industry in particular works because, she said, "At this point, everyone knows that the debt industry is a little bit insane." It's a good time, according to my chart, to go down that particular internet hole.
While that explanation made sense, it didn't necessarily quell my concerns about my personal data. However, Guler insisted that neither the Co – Star app nor the company's freelance team of writers and astrologers use information from users' iCloud accounts -- including their calendars -- or browsing history before they jump to the Co – Star site.
"We don't have that data," she said.
Co – Star's privacy policy acknowledges that the app uses cookies to collect information for Google Analytics, specifically citing device type, how often you look at your Co – Star updates, how many times you've made in-app purchases, and what referred you to the app in the first place (Instagram, Facebook, a New York Times article, etc.).
According to Guler's explanation, then, the app would not have been aware that I scheduled "go to bank" on my calendar, nor would it have known that I'd paid my student loan bill.
"We're not looking at where you've browsed online," she said. "Our project is that we think astrology is sick and we want to make it easier to get into."
So while you might feel personally attacked by Co – Star's accuracy, you've probably just been dragged by the stars. I'd still love to be a fly on the wall in that writers' room, though. Maybe after I experiment with telepathy.
