Good, bad and ugly of big data

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took out full-page ads in British and American newspapers on Sunday to apologize for a “breach of trust” in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, admitting the quiz app built by a university researcher that leaked Facebook data of millions of people in 2014 was a “breach of trust”.

Since the scandal broke, the public has become more aware and concerned about how their online behavior may be used for purposes to which they have not consented. It underscores the urgent need for better protection of personal information.

To better protect personal data privacy, targeted legislation is needed. More effective multilateral cooperation should be carried out to formulate guidelines to protect people online as soon as possible.

Countries, such as the United States and China in particular, which are global leaders in the use of big data should accelerate legislation on how it can be collected and for what purposes it can be used.

At the same time, a closer watch should be kept on the world’s internet giants, such as Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu to ensure they do not acquire unnecessary personal information or misuse the information they do obtain. Despite the huge challenge such personal data protection may pose to their established profit-making models, these companies should know that the more powerful they are, the bigger responsibilities they shoulder.

Strengthened efforts for personal privacy protection do not mean that big data must not be used, but that it is used appropriately. Big data is like a mountain of gold, and excessive emphasis on its security at the expense of its use will undoubtedly waste a valuable resource. The key problem is how to promote its use while guaranteeing people’s privacy is protected.