Analysing Personal Information
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 5.2.13
Analysing Personal Information
Companies increasingly value personal data for its ability to reveal insights about behaviour. The practice raises ethical concerns regarding privacy and transparency.
Data mining
- In recent years, companies have recognised the immense value of personal data.
- Companies use large datasets such as big data to analyse and make inferences about individual behaviours, preferences, and trends.
- Using large datasets to make inferences about individuals is known as data mining.
- Data mining is employed for various purposes, including targeted advertising or personalised political campaigns.
Ethical concerns
- Analysing personal information can enhance user experiences and business strategies.
- Analysing personal information also raises significant ethical concerns.
- Especially when data is used in ways that may disadvantage individuals.
- For example, when data is used to influence insurance decisions based on health risk predictions.
Privacy & transparency
- The collection and analysis of personal data have sparked debates about privacy.
- The debates highlighted the need for transparency from companies.
- Businesses are legally required to disclose what data they collect.
- Nonetheless, users often remain unaware of the extent and purpose of a business's data gathering.
GDPR
- Growing pressure on companies to be more transparent has led to regulatory measures.
- The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enforced in 2018.
- GDPR aims to protect user rights and ensure clearer communication about data usage.
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When was the GDPR enforced?