Course:LIBR559A/Mai, J. (2016)

Citation

Mai, J. (2016). Big data privacy: The datafication of personal information. The Information Society, 32(3), 192-199. doi:10.1080/01972243.2016.1153010

Anotation

Jens-Erik Mai argues that there needs to be a shift in the conception of privacy in the age of big data (Mai, J., 2016, pg.193). He notes there are conceptual challenges around how privacy is currently understood and its relation to big data. Mai’s argument is there should be a focus in datafication. Datafication is the shift in focus from data collection to data processing (Mai, J., 2016, pg.193). The way data is processed through predictive analytics is reason enough in Mai’s mind to reconsider the definition of privacy (Mai, J., 2016, pg.193).

Many pieces written about big data have focused on the use of personal information, but few articles have focused on how big data is processed. The example Mai opened the article with was the father who went to Target to complain to the store about why his daughter got coupons for maternity clothing and baby products (Mai, J., 2016, pg. 193). The father found out that because of his daughter’s recent purchases of “unique” products that the computer quantified the data into a “pregnancy prediction” (Mai, J., 2016, pg. 193). The issue Mai clarifies was not if her privacy was invaded since her previous purchases were known, but that her purchases could create new information and be quantified to produce new information.

Mai focuses his article on the conception of privacy and—to some extent—surveillance. He goes through the traditional conception of privacy, and how some definitions, such as informational privacy, are too broad (Mai, J., 2016, pg.196). There is a struggle now with informational privacy in regards to ownership with who owns what information. This concept is not new in regards to big data because new information is created based on existing information given. What is novel about Mai’s work is thinking about how data is processed. Collecting information itself is not the issue, but the new information created is the issue. The contribution of this article to LIS studies is how privacy terminology needs to be challenged in the digital age. Common perceptions need to change to adapt to the current digital landscape.

Keywords

Big Data, Privacy

Page Author: Elizabeth Moyer