The very public issue of data privacy

Created By Sagar Rathi
Date: 11/01/2014

This series examines issues in data privacy, information ethics and "big data," with an eye toward governance and the future.

"Big data" analytics have changed the way that data is collected, stored and utilized. Enormous amounts of innovation have gone into storing consumer data and turning it into business intelligence and insight.

While the technology astounds, it is still nascent, with little or no regulation surrounding its use. Questions of data privacy, information ethics and data ownership abound for users, but so far little has been done to address them.

This series seeks to define the ethical concerns in big data and data privacy, identify the state of the ethical debate, and offer advice on best practices and strategies going forward.

The difference between data analytics and privacy isn't well-defined. The dawn of big data analytics has blurred the line even more. The improvements in technology have raised security, ownership and privacy questions, not just for consumers, but also for businesses using analytics to serve customers. Despite the advances, data privacy policies are still sensitive subjects; questions about these topics tend to elicit little or no response. As privacy becomes a bigger deal for consumers, there are steps businesses can take to avoid entering into Orwellian territory.

Data privacy and privacy policies are sensitive subjects, but done right, they may also create a competitive advantage.