Is Big Data Dangerous?
I have been giving away personal data all my life. In 1959, when
I first filled out a coupon in the back of a comic book, I started getting
related offers in the mail. It is no surprise that computers make keeping these
lists easier and that social networks collect the life details we share. “Big
data” computer algorithms now connect the mass of breadcrumbs we leave behind, making
assumptions about our habits and preferences.
For many years, marketers and advertisers have been
collecting and using information about us and we have been cheerfully
cooperating. Subscribe to Bride
magazine and wedding service companies will know your intentions before your
boyfriend does. Today, free apps on our cell phones offer us remarkable
services and we eagerly install and use them. However, do not be surprised that,
“If the app is free, you are the product.”
