Ethics of big data

Ever since I first read 1984 by George Orwell, I had been terrified by the world he imagined. I could not believe people would blindly believe the reality presented to them by their government. Having seen what big data can do, I have changed my mind. Today, I believe that if we will not act quickly, big data can and most likely will contribute to the erosion of democratic society as we know it and perhaps pave the way to our own version of the Orwellian word.

Big data are already being used to manipulate us. For instance ‒ retailers such as IKEA use them to boost sales. They leverage data from in-store surveillance devices e. g. cameras to recognize behavioural patterns. Based on the data, they are able to redesign floor layout, change in-store music and even smells [1], so that they can make people spend more money in their shops. IKEA and other retailers making our shopping more enjoyable might not sound scary but the same practices can and are currently being used in politics. Facebook and Cambridge Analytica are some of the companies which unashamedly worked together with politicians during the US presidential election in order to convey their political platforms in a way that will resonate with people [2].

China uses big data not only to influence people’s opinion but also to change their behaviour. All Chinese citizens are given a social score, which is based on their past purchases, social media history, criminal records and on their loyalty to the party. A high score leads to benefits while a low score leads not only to public shaming, travelling and shopping restrictions, but it also reduces the score of people who are in contact with you e. g. your friends or employer [3]. That gives you just enough reasons to obey the party. This dystopian “carrot and stick” approach seems unimaginable in our society, however not much needs to happen to implement this system as big companies already have the data they need.

To conclude, the danger of big data misuse is real and the ramifications of this can be disastrous. We are coming to an age in which information will be more valuable than anything else and in the fast-changing world of informatics, our laws need to keep up. New and tighter regulations regarding data privacy have to be introduced and regularly updated. GDPR was only a small step in the right direction. I think that the general public has to demand that companies behave ethically in dealing with our data. Corporate accountability is the key word here. People need to be aware of the danger of target marketing and must critically evaluate all incoming information. I believe this can be achieved through high-quality media education. The working group on revision of the RVP (Czech education framework) must put particular emphasis on this topic. I also believe that the Ministry of Education in collaboration with Czech School Inspection should closely oversee that all schools are providing this education on the necessary level; especially ones with a higher percentage of pupils who are commonly excluded or falling behind others e. g. VET studies and Roma schools. I also recommend that analytical thinking, data analysis and big data studies should be included in Computer Science classes. This process will not be easy but it will pay off. Education is the best defence in this information war. So let’s use it while we still can.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYKUJgMRQ7A&feature=youtu.be

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Dd5aVXLCc&feature=youtu.be

[3] https://www.merics.org/sites/default/files/2017-09/China%20Monitor_39_SOCS_EN.pdf