IN the 1960s, mainframe computers posed a significant technological challenge to common notions of privacy.
That’s when the federal government started putting tax returns into those giant machines, and consumer credit bureaus began building databases containing the personal financial information of millions of Americans. Many people feared that the new computerized databanks would be put in the service of an intrusive corporate or government Big Brother.
“It really freaked people out,” says Daniel J. Weitzner, a former senior Internet policy official in the Obama administration. “The people who cared about privacy were every bit as worried as we are now.”
Along with fueling privacy concerns, of course, the mainframes helped prompt the growth and innovation that we have come to associate with the computer age. Today, many experts predict that the next wave will be driven by technologies that fly under the banner of Big Data — data including Web pages, browsing habits, sensor signals, smartphone location trails and genomic information, combined with clever software to make sense of it all.
Proponents of this new technology say it is allowing us to see and measure things as never before — much as the microscope allowed scientists to examine the mysteries of life at the cellular level. Big Data, they say, will open the door to making smarter decisions in every field from business and biology to public health and energy conservation.
“This data is a new asset,” says Alex Pentland, a computational social scientist and director of the Human Dynamics Lab at the M.I.T. “You want it to be liquid and to be used.”
But the latest leaps in data collection are raising new concern about infringements on privacy — an issue so crucial that it could trump all others and upset the Big Data bandwagon. Dr. Pentland is a champion of the Big Data vision and believes the future will be a data-driven society. Yet the surveillance possibilities of the technology, he acknowledges, could leave George Orwell in the dust.
The World Economic Forum published a report late last month that offered one path — one that leans heavily on technology to protect privacy. The report grew out of a series of workshops on privacy held over the last year, sponsored by the forum and attended by government officials and privacy advocates, as well as business executives. The corporate members, more than others, shaped the final document.
The report, “Unlocking the Value of Personal Data: From Collection to Usage,” recommends a major shift in the focus of regulation toward restricting the use of data. Curbs on the use of personal data, combined with new technological options, can give individuals control of their own information, according to the report, while permitting important data assets to flow relatively freely.
“There’s no bad data, only bad uses of data,” says Craig Mundie, a senior adviser at Microsoft, who worked on the position paper.
The Latest Bing News on:
Big Data
- Big Tech rally propels US stocks to best week in 2024on April 26, 2024 at 10:33 pm
A rally by the world’s largest technology companies helped US stocks register their best week so far this year. With the latest inflation data coming roughly in line with estimates, this also lent ...
- Global stocks gain on Big Tech lift; yen slides to 34-year lowon April 26, 2024 at 2:41 pm
Global stocks were higher on Friday as Big Tech gains lifted Wall Street shares, while Japan's yen sank to a 34-year low after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) kept monetary policy loose.
- It's still painfully expensive to buy a house, but relief could be on the wayon April 26, 2024 at 1:42 pm
Mortgage rates climbed to 7.1%, marking the third straight week of gains. Here's a look at what to expect from the housing market in the months ahead.
- Big Data From Assembly Tools Raise Quality at Volvo Truckson April 26, 2024 at 6:15 am
Every time an assembler uses an electric fastening tool at the Volvo Group truck factory here, the data from the operation is logged and stored. Engineers are now using that data to increase quality.
- Big Tech keeps spending billions on AI, mostly for new data centerson April 25, 2024 at 7:49 pm
The huge investment is pushing up forecasts for how much energy will be needed in the United States in the coming years to run data centers.
- Rubrik’s stock pops in IPO debut as CEO sees big opportunity in data protectionon April 25, 2024 at 12:37 pm
Shares of Rubrik RBRK, +16.00% opened at $38.60, 21% above their initial-public-offering price of $32. The first trade was executed at 12:47 p.m. Eastern time for 2.7 million shares. The cybersecurity ...
- Mamaearth Parent Bets On Made-For-India Goods In World's Fastest Growing Beauty Marketon April 24, 2024 at 4:30 pm
Honasa Consumer Ltd., the newly listed parent of India’s personal-care brand Mamaearth, is taking on global giants in the world’s fastest-growing beauty market with onion hair oil and ...
- Apache Celeborn Elevates to Top-Level Project, Revolutionizing Big Data Computingon April 24, 2024 at 4:00 pm
The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) announced this week that Apache Celeborn has been promoted from an incubator project to a Top-Level Project (TLP). Designed as an intermediate ...
- The Coolest Big Data System And Cloud Platform Companies Of The 2024 Big Data 100on April 23, 2024 at 7:41 am
And long-established software giants like Microsoft, Oracle and SAP provide foundational cloud systems, databases and other supporting software for big data initiatives, in addition to offering their ...
- How Trilliant Health is making its mark in the analytics marketon April 23, 2024 at 4:00 am
"Our goal is to make strategic analytics available to any stakeholder in the health economy," said Trilliant Health CEO Hal Andrews.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Big Data
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Big Data” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
[/vc_column_text]
The Latest Bing News on:
Bad uses of data
- Good Debt vs. Bad Debt: Understanding the Differenceon April 26, 2024 at 7:38 am
Learn about the distinctions between good debt and bad debt in 2024. Learn how to leverage debt as a tool for financial growth while avoiding pitfalls that could hinder your economic health.
- Kaiser notifies 13.4M individuals of data breachon April 26, 2024 at 7:27 am
Kaiser will notify millions of a data breach stemming from the improper disclosure of patient information to third parties.
- Can AI help tell the difference between a good and bad sweet potato?on April 25, 2024 at 11:13 am
Scientists used hyperspectral imaging to sort produce.
- How A Mapping Project Is Pointing The Way For More Open Data Useon April 25, 2024 at 10:18 am
Overture Maps Foundation Executive Director Marc Prioleau talks about the project, where open data can make a difference, and how it can catch on.
- The Good (and the Bad) of Using Apps to Connect With Parentson April 24, 2024 at 7:01 pm
How often should parents and teachers communicate? That’s the question at the center of a growing push for technology that allows parents constant access to the classroom. For a long time, parents ...
- Bashing accelerated approval isn’t supported by the dataon April 23, 2024 at 7:27 am
The accelerated approval pathway works, though it isn't a flawless oracle of therapeutic success. Perfect mustn't be allowed to be the enemy of people with unmet needs.
- Trump called this visa ‘very bad.’ Truth Social applied for oneon April 22, 2024 at 9:49 pm
The social media company founded by former President Donald Trump applied for a business visa program that he sought to restrict.
- Is Online Shopping Bad for the Planet?on April 22, 2024 at 2:01 am
In theory, getting deliveries can be more efficient than driving to the store. But you may still want to think before you add to cart.
- The bad and the ugly: AI is harmful, unreliable, and running out of dataon April 22, 2024 at 12:33 am
Outperforming humans is one thing, but its rapid rise has meant that AI has created some problems for itself – and we're nervous.
- The B2B Data Decay Epidemic: How To Protect Your Bottom Lineon April 18, 2024 at 4:15 am
I see data decay as an epidemic, but by understanding it, facing it and using the right tools to combat it, you can save a tremendous amount of potentially lost revenue.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Bad uses of data
[google_news title=”” keyword=”bad uses of data” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]