Hey everybody!
Can you all believe it is October already. 2023 is flying!
This weeks topic is Big Data
To explain it simply, big data is large, complex data sets, from new data sources. These sources are so large that traditional data processing software cannot manage them.
Some examples of big data include transaction processing systems, customer databases, documents, emails, medical records, internet clickstream logs, mobile apps and social networks.
It is the data of our everyday lives, all those little 'cookies' we all accept on every website without really knowing where it goes, all those cringy facebook posts from 2010 and texts to our bestfriend we think are secrets, those are big data. This means big data comes with its own set of ethical and social challenges, here are some I have found.
1. Informed Consent
Informed consent is the most careful, respectful and ethical form of consent. It requires the data collector to make a significant effort to give participants a reasonable and accurate understanding of how their data will be used.
Big data makes this form of consent impossible as the entire purpose of big data studies, mining and analytics is to reveal patterns and trends between data points that were previously inconceivable. In this way, consent cannot possibly be ‘informed’ as neither the data collector nor the study participant can reasonably know or understand what will be garnered from the data or how it will be used.
Issues arise when uninformed data subjects have their information scraped from social media platforms. A study by Ofcom found that 65% of social media users usually accept terms and conditions without reading them, therefore most do not understand the extent their data is used.
2. Privacy
The ethics of privacy involve many different concepts such as liberty, autonomy, security, and in a more modern sense, data protection and data exposure.
The scale and velocity of big data pose a serious concern as many traditional privacy processes cannot protect sensitive data, which has led to an exponential increase in cybercrime and data leaks.
A further concern is the growing analytical power of big data for example how this can impact privacy when personal information from various digital platforms can be mined to create a full picture of a person without their explicit consent.
3. Algorithm Bias and Objectivity
Algorithms are designed by humans, the data sets they study are selected and prepared by humans, and humans have bias. So far, there is significant evidence to suggest that human prejudices are infecting technology and algorithms, and negatively impacting the lives and freedoms of humans. Particularly those who exist within the minorities of our societies.
Algorithm biases have become such an ingrained part of everyday life that they have also been documented as impacting our personal psyches and thought processes.
The phenomenon occurs when we perceive our reality to be a reflection of what we see online. The algorithm shows us content that we are most likely to enjoy or agree with and discards the rest. When filter bubbles like this exist they create echo chambers and, in extreme cases, can lead to radicalisation, sectarianism and social isolation.
There are many other concerns coming to light with Big Data but these are just a couple to give you an insight.
I have listed below some interesting media around the topic.
Hopefully you enjoyed this weeks post.
Thanks for reading - Rachael!
Very Interesting Rachael :)
ReplyDeleteA great read Rachael :)
ReplyDeleteReally interesting and informational!
ReplyDelete