Big Data Gone Wrong: Shocking Examples of Unethical Practices

The world of big data is truly enormous, and it’s no question that businesses of all sizes have benefited greatly from the insights and opportunities it offers. Big data has helped companies gain a better understanding of their customers, streamline their operations, and make better decisions. However, as these businesses have become increasingly reliant on big data, some have pushed ethical limits. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most shocking examples of unethical practices in big data.

1. Cambridge Analytica Scandal

The Cambridge Analytica scandal is perhaps one of the most infamous examples of unethical practices in big data. In 2018, it was revealed that the firm had harvested data from over 50 million Facebook users without their consent. The data was then used to build psychological profiles of users, which were then used to target political advertising during the US Presidential Election. The scandal led to calls for stricter data privacy laws around the world.

2. Biased Algorithms

Algorithms are used in big data to help make decisions based on statistical analysis of data. However, these algorithms are only as unbiased as the data used to train them. In 2018, Amazon was forced to scrap an AI recruiting tool after it was found to be biased against women. The tool was trained on resumes submitted to the company over a ten-year period, which were largely from men. As a result, the tool began to favor male candidates, leading to widespread criticism.

3. Targeting Vulnerable Populations

Another unethical practice that has emerged in big data is the targeting of vulnerable populations. In 2018, ProPublica published an investigation into how Facebook allowed companies to use its platform to place job ads that excluded certain demographics, such as women and older workers. The investigation found that companies could use Facebook’s ad targeting options to exclude certain groups from seeing their job ads, a practice that is illegal under US law.

4. Stripping User Anonymity

Data privacy laws are a hot topic in big data, particularly with regards to anonymity. In 2017, The New York Times published an investigation into how companies were able to use big data to identify individuals in supposedly anonymized datasets. Using datasets from mobile phone companies, the investigation found that companies were able to identify specific individuals by looking at their patterns of movement.

Conclusion

As big data continues to grow in importance, it is essential that companies and governments ensure that ethical practices are being followed. The examples mentioned in this article are just the tip of the iceberg, and there is no doubt that new ethical challenges will continue to emerge as the use of big data expands. It is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that data privacy and ethics are at the forefront of the conversation around big data.

Speech tips:

Please note that any statements involving politics will not be approved.