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Management of Big Data Privacy Issues

Maricris Q. Resma

BDM 1043 - Big Data Fundamentals 02 (DSMM Group 2)

Lambton College Mississauga

Jagmohan Dutta

October 13, 2022

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Abstract

Big data has made a significant impact in enabling different enterprises to succeed in

their business through harnessing huge amounts of data and using the related big data tools to

analyse them. But in this digital age, it also means that it has provided a platform to store a

lot of personal information that may be a threat to our privacy if used unethically or simply

retrieved with malice. To minimize this risk, additional protection to our sensitive

information is done through the implementation of big data privacy. It is implemented

through the utilization of different data security protocols, tools, and organization regulations

that aim to protect data privacy and security.

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Big Data Privacy

Big data privacy is the proper management of big data to protect sensitive information

(Informatica, n.d., What is big data privacy, para. 1). It follows a set of standards or protocols

governed by law and is made possible through different tools that help with the security of

data. It is not only limited to government rules though, as an enterprise may have its own

company policies and principles. Moreover, consumers can also contribute to data privacy by

personally controlling the amount of info they share.

Management of Privacy Issues

Social Media & Privacy: A Facebook Case Study (Haumann, 2015 October) discusses

how privacy became an issue for Facebook users who upload personal information without

being fully aware of the access rights they agree to give to this social media platform and

how it uses it as profitable commodity. With Facebook, a user can create a social network

profile and from there can start providing personal information such as gender, date of birth,

education, interests and the like, all of which seem like basic information but still contribute

to profiling what type of person you are. Such use of data can lead to discrimination and

misinformation. Furthermore, a user can also upload pictures, join groups, buy and sell items,

expand one’s network of friends and so much more. For the unassuming consumer it may all

seem harmless but, it exposes users enough to becoming a full product themselves to be sold.

This kind of unawareness leads to other problem such as users not being careful enough of

applying appropriate privacy settings in their accounts (Haumann, 2015). Other than that, the

underlying privacy issue in Facebook’s use of big data is the continuous tracking of user’s

online activity, and the way information is used for profit with private information being sold

to interested corporations. This has made consumers even more vulnerable to “social

harassment, state intrusions, corporate surveillance and commodification” (Haumann, 2015

October).
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Despite these issues, there are various ways to manage big data privacy concerns.

Firstly, the enterprises themselves that use big data technology setup their own privacy

policies and actively implement it. To begin with, compliant companies make sure to have it

in the design of their application like offering users the flexibility to be in control of their

privacy preferences. For example, Facebook has made privacy settings more visible, urging

users to properly be more conscious in setting it accordingly. Data-driven enterprises also use

the required methods and tools that provide high level of security to minimize risks of data

breach. They train employees about data security and make sure to only have authorized

workers have access to the servers. Cybersecurity is included in their big data platform to

protect from different threats, and protect data through methods like encryption,

authentication, tokenization, and data masking (LettingAgentToday, n.d., Technology Used

by Large Companies for Data Security). Secondly, the government plays an important role in

passing and implementing data protection laws. An important example is the “General Data

Protection Regulation” (Intersoft Consulting, n.d., GDPR) implemented by the European

Union which is considered as one of the strongest security and privacy law that dictates

appropriate charges and penalties if violated. It follows 7 main principles which highlight the

importance of lawful processing of personal data done in a very secure manner. Another

example of ongoing big data governance is the PIPEDA law in Canada which require 10

principles that businesses must follow to protect privacy emphasizing the rights of the user,

the importance of their consent, setting limits to the collection of data based on necessity,

requiring security safeguards to protect data and many more (Office of the Privacy

Commissioner of Canada, 2019). Violation of such privacy laws have equivalent criminal

charges so that many organizations become more cautious and give importance to abiding by

the law.
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Conclusion

Despite the risks, many organizations still utilize big data, and many users still give

their information because of the staggering benefits they still get from it. Government

governance and corporate responsibility all help manage the challenges when it comes to data

privacy. As big data continue to grow and be used more extensively, security and privacy

laws should continue to be reviewed and improved. There is also a social responsibility that

people can take by persuading our leaders to give importance to the implementation of these

laws. However, these policies are not perfect and so are the security tools available, however

sophisticated. And because there is always that risk of data breach, consumers should keep in

mind their personal responsibility of being more conscious of what information they give to

different enterprises in exchange for their product and services. Proactiveness on our part is

important to be truly in control of our own personal data.

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References

Haumann, M. (2015, October). Social Media & Privacy: A Facebook Case Study.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294836170_Social_Media_Privacy_A_Faceb

ook_Case_Study

Informatica. (n.d.). Big Data and Privacy: What It Is and What You Need to Know. Retrieved

Oct 11, 2022, from https://www.informatica.com/ca/resources/articles/what-is-big-data-

privacy.html#:~:text=What%20is%20big%20data%20privacy,the%20scale%20and%2

0velocity%20required

Intersoft Consulting. (n.d.). General Data Protection Regulation. Retrieved Oct 11, 2022,

from https://gdpr-info.eu/chapter-2/

LettingAgentToday. (n.d.). 5 Ways Big Companies Protect their Data. Retrieved Oct 11,

2022, from https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/-/2021/3/5-ways-big-companies-

protect-their-data

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. (2019, May). PIPEDA in brief.

https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-

information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/pipeda_brief/