Hi Everyone,
Along the same lines as Group 10’s work on Analytics, I came across an interesting article I thought I’d share from Canadian Business. It relates to data privacy and analytics as this was brought up as one of the numerous challenges broached when using any form of analytics. From the discussion within Group 10s OER, for many of us the misuse of analytics was predominant but there were a few of us who were also concerned about privacy and ethical concerns.
I found this article interesting in that the Ontario Commissioner on Privacy, Ann Cavoukian, stated her belief that “privacy controls and innovation can coexist. “Privacy has enormous value at both the societal level and at the individual level. It forms the basis of our freedoms and allows creativity and innovation to thrive,”. She stressed the importance of not just amassing data but having “good data” which is quite important when analyzing any form of analytics.
She also states that privacy issues should be a” business issue and not a compliance issue” to help foster innovation. I wonder how this would be addressed if this becomes the case in the future, then consumer’s data privacy may then become too lax. I will post a differing viewpoint that I found above as there was another article pinpointing this exact point.
She outlines in her paper, seven foundational laws of privacy that businesses should then follow to help foster innovation. The second link is to her paper, the first is the article in Canadian Business.
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/technology-news/ann-cavoukian-privacy-leads-to-innovation/
http://www.privacybydesign.ca/content/uploads/2009/08/7foundationalprinciples.pdf
Cheers, Leah
Great article Leah, I found the 7 foundational principles useful and think that new analytic ventures could gain much (of which they can offer their clients) by ensuring the design and concept of any new analytics project is designed with privacy in mind. It’s a standard in science to codify personal data, to practice safe storage, and to translate the data through responsible and well controlled practices in order to ensure credibility and leave little room for error (even if there’s room for interpretation in any scientific study). I think analytics are no different, there should be some rigor in the execution or handling of data. One of the suggestions I made to the week 10 group supports your post as their concern of the “misrepresentation of analytics” would have been better served if it were worded “misuse of analytics,” as you also mention. There’s perhaps a lot of room for venture growth and advancement here.
HI Bobbi,
Thanks so much for your thoughts and comments! I also found the 7 foundational principles quite helpful. I think that all new ventures should entail rigour and concepts behind how privacy and ethical issues will be followed. The misrepresentation of analytics or misuse is of great concern especially when specific private information on learners, students or consumers are used within it. I’d agree Bobbi that there is a lot of room for growth. I think that we are still catching up to technology and analytics as a whole. Technology in and of itself is growing and being used at such a rapid rate that we sometimes forget that the regulations behind its use needs to catch up to it as well.
Cheers!
Leah