Big data has been one of the most promising developments of the 21st-century. It has opened the door for a massive technological revolution, encapsulating the Internet of Things, more personal brand relationships with customers and far more effective solutions to many of her everyday problems.
However, there is also a dark side to big data. It has created a number of privacy concerns that customers need to be aware of. Â The White House and European Parliament have both addressed these concerns over the past year, but may not outline any viable solutions for the foreseeable future.
Lawmakers across the world are beginning to realize that big data security needs to be a top priority. In March, the European Parliament developed a new resolution to address privacy rights raised by big data. The resolution states that public trust in big data can only be ensured by strict regulation.
The White House released a similar report last year. It stated that big data analytics can lead to unintentional discrimination, since user identities can’t be easily protected anymore.
Here are some big data privacy risks that everyone should be aware of.
Consumers did brands are facing a difficult balancing act. They want to deliver highly personalized services and solutions. Big data makes that possible.
However, analytics technology is becoming more adept at identifying consumer identities. While most brands don’t track the identity of each of their users, they often track enough information to guess someone’s identity.
Sympathy for privacy rights is also eroding, due to the proliferation of Internet trolls and online abusers. High-profile incidents, such as GamerGate doxing and harassment and the cyber bullying of Amanda Todd has led many lawmakers and influencers to argue for more restrictions on online privacy.
These trends indicate that anonymization May soon become a thing of the past.
