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 language | English |
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Title of host publication | Big Data: Algorithms, Analytics, and Applications |
Editors | Kuan-Ching Li, Hai Jiang, Laurence T. Yang, Alfredo Cuzzocrea |
Publisher | Chapman and Hall/CRC |
Pages | 283-300 |
Number of pages | 498 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781482240559 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 23 Feb 2015 |
Externally published | Yes |