Should you be more secure with your personal data?

Hi all, I hope you are well! Welcome back to my blog. This week I am going to discuss something that I think has quietly become a real problem in recent years and that problem involves big data and the issues that arise from it.

First of all we must define what big data is. From a quick google search big data, on the face of it, "refers to data sets that are too large or complex to be dealt with by traditional data processing application software." For me like most people my age that means very little however, for the purpose of today's blog I will briefly discuss the potential ethical and social issues involves with big data.

With the collection of "big data" now becoming commonplace there are more corporations that have access to large amounts of personal data and likely know a lot more about you than you realise! Apps you likely use on a daily basis such as Tiktok, BeReal. and Instagram are constantly gathering data about you each time you use the app. I have seen people question how BeReal makes a profit as there are no advertisements or membership fees on the app. This is where the value of your data is important to these corporations. This may be your viewing patterns or what interests you and what doesn't. These apps have algorithms that are specifically designed to keep you on their apps for as long as possible by feeding you content that they know will engage you. The data collected about you is then sold to 3rd parties who now have the tools to target advertisements and promotions at you. 💥

In my opinion the key issue involved with Big Data is data privacy which in some cases can result in identity theft and fraud. However, with that said companies can now provide better customer services and improve their operations with the new levels of data they have so there are positive effects of this mass data collection. For the foreseeable future I don't see much changing so it is more down to being aware of what big data is and being prudent enough to maintain your own data privacy. An easy suggestion is to read all terms and conditions online but I don't see that becoming commonplace anytime soon!