Big data is highly important in today’s digital
economy that’s very data driven. Its significance continues to grow and unfortunately
so do the ethical issues attached to it. In today’s blog we’ll take a closer
look into big data and the ethical and social problems attached to it.
Big data refers to large, diverse sets of information
that grows at ever-increasing rates. Big data often comes from data mining and
arrives in multiple formats.
The main concept of big data is that the more
visibility you have into anything, the more effectively you can gain insights
to make better decisions, uncover growth opportunities and improve your
business model. It’s mainly used to:
- Track consumer behaviour and shopping habits to deliver personalised product recommendations.
- Detect fraud in real time.
- Using image data from cameras and sensors, as well as GPS data, to detect potholes and improve road maintenance in cities.
Ethical and social concerns:
- Discrimination: Algorithms that use data to make decisions in hiring someone, approving loans and criminal justice, negatively against certain groups based on ethnicity or gender.
- Lack of Informed consent: Many people are not aware of the extent to which their data is being collected and used, and in many cases, they haven’t given informed consent.
- Legal and Regulatory issues: Fines, legal action, and reputation all harm may arise from breaking the law on data privacy and other laws.
In response to these challenges, there have been efforts
made to develop ethical guideline regulations such as GDPR here in Europe. However,
the rapid evolution of technology of technology continues to present more complex
ethical issues.

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