Data Mining: Privacy and Security

At the present time, people create vast amounts of data by simply living their lives. The data by itself is a combination of raw facts and figures that are not very useful, but with the right approach, “digging” into the data might uncover the knowledge that can be used in many contradicting ways.

Data mining is a trend in Information Technologies. It is based on discovering hidden patterns in large quantities of complex, real-world data by using machine learning, pattern recognition, and statistics.

When data mining is performed on web documents and services, we call it web mining. Companies use web mining to build customer profiles, which allow companies to provide more personalized services and search for potential customers. However, web mining evokes privacy issue because “if someone is not aware that the information/ knowledge is being collected or of how it will be used, he/she has no opportunity to consent or withhold consent for its collection and use”(Lita van Wel, 2004).

Some might say that they do not mind sharing their shopping habits in exchange for better services. However, data mining gives cause for security concerns as well. Even though data mining focuses on finding trends and patterns in data and not specific information about people, there is still possibility that personal information will be revealed. Some companies (usually Internet Service Providers) sell their databases to other companies that accumulate many bits and pieces of information about web users and are able to generate a full picture of a user including his name, address, social security number, marital status and so on.

Unfortunately, there is no current law to protect personal electronic information. Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) is dated and needs to be revised and adapted to contemporary conditions. Meanwhile, web users should to be educated about consequences of their web browsing or shopping online and ways to protect themselves.

References

Lita van Wel, & Royakkers, L. (2004). Ethical issues in web data mining. Ethics and Information Technology, 6(2), 129–140. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxygw.wrlc.org/docview/222253386?accountid=11243