Personal Data Protection Aspects of Big Data

Paolo Balboni*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterProfessional

Abstract

New technologies have significantly changed both the way that we live and the ways in which we do business. The advent of the Internet and the vast amounts of data disseminated across global networks and databases has brought with it both signifi­cant advantages in terms of scientific understanding and business opportunities, and challenges in terms of competition and privacy concerns. More data are currently available than ever before. Neelie Kroes, vice president of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, defined our era as “the data gold rush.” What is Big Data? In its most general sense, the term Big Data refers to large digital data sets often held by corporations, governments, and other organizations that are sub­sequently analyzed by way of computer algorithms. In a more practical sense, “Big Data means big money!” The most significant challenge in harnessing the value of Big Data is to rightly balance business aspects with social and ethical implications, especially when consumers, or data subjects, possess a limited understanding of how their personal data are being collected and what becomes of the same. This chapter provides an analysis of applicable data protection provisions and their impact on both businesses and consumers/data subjects. More precisely, it will be determined whether and to what extent (1) data protection law applies and (2) personal Big Data can be (further) processed (e.g., by way of analytic software programs). It is vital to have a strategic and accurate approach to data protection compliance in order to collect personal data in a way that enables further lawful processing activities. The difference for a company between dying buried under personal data and harnessing their value is directly related to privacy compliance management.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationBig Data: Algorithms, Analytics, and Applications
EditorsKuan-Ching Li, Hai Jiang, Laurence T. Yang, Alfredo Cuzzocrea
PublisherChapman and Hall/CRC
Pages283-300
Number of pages498
ISBN (Print)9781482240559
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Feb 2015
Externally publishedYes

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