Big Data: Privacy

This week’s information was all about privacy and big data. I had heard of the term big data before, and I also knew a a little about privacy laws such as what personally identifiable information is (PII) as well as how to use Non-disclosure agreements (NDA’s) from my previous work. After conducting this weeks research, I feel disappointed in myself for not getting more into the Netflix documentary: The Great hack, about big data. I remember hearing much about it and taking away talking points from it such as how a company can listen in on your microphones and store the data they gather to provide targeted ads at people.

Initially, I thought of it as just more capitalists practice. After all, what company wouldn’t want to know the best times to push out advertisements? I didn’t really think of it as collecting unwanted data and habits about me. Until I learned from this weeks material. For example, the Ted video where we are informed that companies like Facebook will target you with adds when you are feeling worse because you are more likely to buy at that time. That really creeped me out! Not only is that pretty toxic behavior, but it also incentivizes companies to make people feel worse about themselves.

Now I am more aware of the privacy rules i follow, and i am more conscious about what data i allow to be shared. I know it is basically impossible to prevent data being gathered on me in it’s entirety, but I do try to prevent it as best as i can. Like saving battery from not having open wifi, bluetooth, and gps signals on my devices. I also have gone and opted out of insider programs/diagnostic data sending.