Big data is a buzzword. Technically defining, it can be considered as a collection of sets of data originating from multiple sources. The sources could be anything from web world, social media or the data collected from sensors of the smart world.
The world of IoT (Internet of Things) has given rise to smart meters, smart cities, smart cars, smart and safe homes, smart water purifiers, smart gadgets, basically a smarter lifestyle. Such smartness comes through sensors that can sense temperature, pressure, speed, water impurities, electric current and almost everything. The data that these sensors release is sent back to the originating device accumulating to the big data.
In this dynamic world, more the things transform, more it contributes to this sensation called big data. Scalability of the big data surges by day thus making volume, velocity, variance and variety major characteristics of it. (Veracity and value are still in the race).
This data comes handy when used for extracting statistical data or indispensably in case of perceiving the personal choices of the individuals.
According to Forbes, this data is growing faster than ever before and by the year 2020, about 1.7 megabytes of new information will be created every second for every human being on the planet.
So the big data is already here. But where are the bigger concernsIJ
The answer to this question lies in the answer to another question, which is, what do we do with this monstrous quantity of dataIJ
The data from social media websites and other web portals is composed together in the real time based on user activities using his/her own personal account. Anything that a user surfs, searches, shares, or publishes is on record with the owners of the website and contributes to big data. For example, on any online shopping portal, if we look for a product, immediately we start receiving the suggestions to buy it or similar products.
This is possible because the user has accepted the terms and conditions of the service while creating the account. But at the same time, user does not have a choice whether she/he wants to share a particular piece of his search.
The fresh case of Cambridge Analytica is the best suited illustration here.
In the wake of this, not so old spectacle, the first fact that comes under scrutiny is the “Right to Privacy”.
Justice Sanjay Kaul (one of the judges of the 9-judge Bench of the Supreme Court adjudged the citizen’s Right to Privacy) stated that “Technology has made it possible to enter a citizen’s house without knocking at his/her door and this is equally possible both by the State and non-State actors. It is an individual’s choice as to who enters his house, how he lives and in what relationship”, he definitely pointed towards the exponential rate at which data is amassed and then used as per the need by the owner organisations.
The steps taken by these organisations to curb privacy infringement are by using the techniques like anonymisation and pseudonymisation. But these techniques are not free from flaws in totality. There have been incidents when anonymised data has been re-identified when correlated with other databases. There is a well-known case where health record of one of the governors of the US State was procured by correlating it with other databases with common fields.
Another concern which requires immediate attention is the lack of categorisation of data. It is time that we must identify the data sets which have a confidential value and should not be shared freely over the internet and others which we can share the same without any restrictions.
Speaking in Indian context, recently a committee was formed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to formulate the regulations for protecting data. Also, there is a pressing need to inform and educate our citizens. The citizens of any nation should be vigilant about the policies and laws meant for them.
Other nations and groupings such as Singapore, the US, South Africa, Australia and European Union, all have websites citing policies and laws pertaining to data protection in their countries and have the alternative of web chat and helpline numbers.
This is an additional but significant concern that needs to be taken care of.
According to NASSCOM vice-president KS Visvanathan, “The big data sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26 per cent over the next five years, expected to reach a value of $16 billion by 2025, and by 2025, India will have a 32 per cent share in the global market.”
Unquestionably, big data has given birth to a revolution in the market, where sellers can directly decipher end users’ choices and opinions. Predictive analysis aids in better planning and strategy designing, thus, impacting the market forces positively. If only the privacy of users’ data is accommodated, it will turn out to be a boon for the betterment of our economy. No progress can be amused at the expense of our citizens’ rights. Going by the statistics stated above, it is necessary to realise that protection of data is also a crucial right of citizens of any nation. Well-proportioned laws and equally enlightened and vigilant citizens form the backbone of a prospering homeland. As it is rightly said human rights must work to uplift human dignity.
Succinctly, revolution in information and communication technology has moved humanity to entirely a new age. Increased mobility of man, material, machines and more particularly the ideas have made our world much flatter unlike the yesteryears. Global has fast become local and the local has travelled to the global stage at an unprecedented speed. This is where we all have become unsecured as there is no place to hide any more. All of us are under global surveillance. Henceforth, the big data machines such as Facebook, Google, Twitter should be too careful about the safety, security, dignity and privacy of their users. It is time now to urge and demand for a set of more stringent jus cogens from the global governance system so as to make all of us safer.
(The author is currently working as a software engineer in Jindal Initiative on Research in IP and Competition (JIRICO) at OP Jindal Global University, Sonepat, Haryana)