Week 5 Reflections

Additional Readings:

• Dr. Handler, Jonathan. "Big Data and the Art of Medicine - M*Modal." MModal. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2014. <http://mmodal.com/articles/big-data-and-the-art-of-medicine/>. 
• Article: "Advertisers Get a Trove of Clues in Smartphone," The New York Times, March 11, 2009.  (Download content.) 
• "The Big Data and Privacy Review." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2014. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/technology/big-data-review>.

Reflections on Big Data:

This week the readings were focused on the power of Big Data.  However, every coin has two sides that both need to be considered. On one hand, Big Data offers countless number of advantages to society. From utilizing aggregate data for improving evidence based medicine to providing an advantage for marketers to target specific consumers for their products. Targeted marketing has advantages for consumers and businesses. Timely placements of coupons and advertisement may steer a person deciding on dinner or a purchase to take advantage of the latest offer available and at the same time benefits the site and restaurant/store. The potential use and power of Big Data extend as far as the imagination will take you.

The other side of the coin, the disadvantage of Big Data, is the compromise that consumers make in terms of privacy. If you are shopping in the grocery store and an advertisement comes up on your phone for the milk that you buy every week it can give someone an eerie feeling like they are being watched. Privacy policy, similar to terms and conditions, that consumers need to approve are not reviewed thoroughly and even if they are reviewed there is not much someone can do to limit the exposure of personal data. If you want access to a particular application or site you need to agree to the terms and privacy policy of the site. Additionally, consumers have no control and limited recourse when policies change.  In some cases people may not even know or realize all the information that is being collected about them and how that information is being used.

Technology is advancing rapidly and the applications available for Big Data are growing quickly. Public policy and privacy laws need to keep up with the changes in technology. There are so many benefits available because of Big Data and it is important to mitigate the risks and negative consequences of this powerful tool.