Note: check out the Equifax data breach at some point
What are you thinking about data after the first class / readings / video?
- implications for safety (detailed crash data)
- effects on how we live - potential improvements to life
- potential to look for answer in technology always
- computers’ work with data may affect jobs
- data on students (you!)
- lots of data and maybe not enough ethical guidelines
- recognition of patterns but not necessarily cause for the patterns
- data used to predict future
- businesses use data and trends to make decisions about future
- Facebook
- Google
- whitepages
- linkedin
- instagram
- town public records
- peers
- voter records
- uri’s directory
- the census
- medical records
- social security / government
- employment history
- bank (note the Equifax breach)
- location
- search history (google)
- facebook (likes)
- school records
- 23 and Me
- address, phone number
- sports records from high school
- birthday
- family members
- employment
- high school
- tweets (another source of information)
- value of someone’s house
Does what we “know” affect our decisions?
What do we (as a society) need to know to make decisions about what happens with data?
- who can see the data
- what is the data being used for
- why is it available (in the first place)
- does someone have to pay to get it
- can we make it private?
- did you know it was being collected?
- what’s in those legal agreements?
- is it necessary to collect data?
- can we get rid of data if it’s stolen
- how do preferences of an individual conflict with preferences of society
What are the arguments for keeping data private and public?
Benefits for public data
- mapping viruses (health record data)
- patterns of crime (and know where to police)
- save money - know when to buy
- predict traffic and accidents - makes driving easier and safer
- keep students in school by supporting them
Benefits for private data
- prevent identity theft
- government shouldn’t know everything about citizens
- otherwise people with access has advantage, which perpetuates class structure
- businesses know when to markup prices
- minimize data available on younger people