Big Data and Its Implications
Big Data is a statistical analysis of consumer trends, habits, demographics and much more. Most consumers know little about it, and have no clue that they are contributing to it everyday. Big Data consists of many things you might not want other people to know, therefore infringing on your information privacy. Companies track everything you do on the internet and electronically, and compile that information to sell it to others.
It is a very powerful tool that can allow companies to better advertise and market to you personally. It is dangerous because it is sensitive information, and if it falls into the wrong hands as it sometimes does, people have a much better chance of targeting you. They can find out all sorts of things that you dont want them to know, such as where you live, how many kids you have, what kind of car you drive, what your daily routine is like, and much more. This information, as you can imagine, can be very beneficial for someone who wishes to do harm to you or your house. Sometimes, your location is being broadcast to others as well.
Much of the damage is already done, but more information is still being gathered everyday on almost everyone. In my opinion, the only way to limit harm from big data is to regulate it by government intervention. This could be done with new legislation that protects citizen’s private information. This industry is almost completely unregulated and has little to no government oversight. There must be oversight in some way shape or form.