Ethics of Big Data: Balancing Risk and Innovation

Balancing Risk and Innovation in the Age of Data

Author: Kord Davis

Year: 2013

Summary:

Introduction

What are your organization's policies for generating and using huge datasets full of personal information? This book examines the ethical questions raised by the big data phenomenon and explains why enterprises must reconsider their business decisions regarding privacy and identity. Authors Kord Davis and Doug Patterson offer practical methods and techniques to help your business engage in a transparent and productive ethical inquiry into current data practices.

Why Big Data Raises Ethical Questions

Both individuals and organizations have legitimate interests in understanding how data is handled. Your use of data can directly impact brand quality and revenue—as Target, Apple, Netflix, and dozens of other companies have discovered. Without clear ethical standards, data-driven decisions can lead to unintended consequences that erode customer trust and damage reputations.

Key Ethical Principles for Data Use

Review your data-handling practices and examine whether they reflect core organizational values
Express coherent and consistent positions on your organization's use of big data
Define tactical plans to close gaps between values and practices—and discover how to maintain alignment as conditions change over time
Maintain a balance between the benefits of innovation and the risks of unintended consequences