IS BIG DATA AN ENEMY OR ALLY?

From the moment each of us unlocks our phones, swipes our cards, or walks into a store we are subject to being tracked by big data. I mean unless you reside in a rainforest with no form of technology then you’re a part of the lucky few so this doesn’t apply to you.

Big Data has given businesses and corporations the ability to reach out and ascertain information on all classes of consumers. So who is it for? I’ve recently conducted my own research on the inclusivity and exclusivity of Big Data toward consumers to figure out if this massive data collector benefits or harms the everyday consumer.

What is Big Data?

I’ve read so many definitions of Big Data and most of them have left me confused and with a headache, until I came across a solid yet simple definition from Data Scientist, David Taylor. Taylor simplifies it as “Big Data is a collection of data that is huge in volume, yet growing exponentially with time. It is a data with so large size and complexity that none of traditional data management tools can store it or process it efficiently. Big data is also a data but with huge size.” In my own words, this means Big Data is a tool large enough to collect a massive amount of data that never stops growing.

Infographic curated by Yasmeen James

Friends with benefits or flat out pressure?

Have you ever made a purchase online or in-store and once you have exited the store or clicked off of their website you received offerings for special promotions and/or items similar to items that you have purchased in the past to sway you to come in and shop more? Or if you left an item sitting in your cart for a while on an eCommerce website you’ve probably received the friendly customized reminder email that you have left something behind in your cart with a nice discount to move your purchase along. You would think that most consumers would feel this static is a benefit but they feel quite the opposite. This is pressuring consumers to spend, spend, spend.

Privacy Shmi-vacy

When interviewing 3 everyday consumers I found out that a major issue most consumers have with Big Data is privacy and safety. Consumers simply do not get the privacy or security they want on the internet so that companies can reap the benefits in bucks later on. Now more than ever consumers are resistant when signing up for email and text options because they feel they are going to be harassed virtually by businesses thanks to big data. Lomika age 30 is an authenticator as well as an aspiring actress during our interview she shared a few interesting details with me.

I made a statement to Lomika in conversation saying “it’s so interesting how you could speak to someone over the phone about an item or wanting something and once you get off the phone call you’ll see an advertisement for it on social media.” Lomika’s response took me by surprise:

Lomika: Seriously! It’s the creepiest thing in my opinion. It’s like if I’m speaking to someone about how I wish I could find something whether it be appliances or clothing my phone will find a way to show me what it is that I’m looking for. This is going to sound like an odd thing to be upset about but I don’t like that I’m always going to be able to find what I’m looking for without even trying. This new data situation doesn’t allow me to save money the way that I’m trying to.

Me: I understand what you mean. Maybe the fact that you don’t know where to look to find whatever it is that you’re looking for will prevent you from spending money but since advertisements pop up if you go on Instagram or something the temptation to spend is there.

Lomika: That’s exactly my point! Big Data really contributes negatively to my shopping addiction. And when I tell people this they think a shopping addiction is a joke but it’s seriously not.

Me: Wow I never thought about it like that. It never crossed my mind that shopping addictions can worsen or spark from big data listening in on someone. I only ever thought about how sites go about capturing our information when we go on them to shop or just look.

Lomika: Yeah I was a serial shopper without big data and I’ve been trying to suppress my urge but since ads pop up every two seconds whenever I think about something I want it’s just been worse for me. As far as what you just said about capturing emails I do like how when you go on a clothing site some of the sites give you the option to accept or reject “the cookies”. Even though I still feel like they take my data regardless of what I chose, it just makes me feel better that they asked for my permission you know?

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In Lomika’s case, Big Data doesn’t respect her privacy and it isn’t really showing to be an ally for her. Now all consumers are different but I'm sure most feel just the same as this specific consumer does. The other two consumers I spoke with also experienced feeling mentally drained when checking their emails because they can’t stand to see the several dozen emails from different companies trying to politely pressure them into spending money.

What's Next?

Dating back to 2012 we have seen several situations where Big Data has led to businesses invading the privacy of the everyday consumer. Kashmir Hill, a former staff member of Forbes wrote an article about a young woman who had her pregnancy outed to her father by Target before she had the opportunity to share the moment with her father. Hill had expressed that Target was able to trace data of what items the young woman was purchasing which happened to fit the analysis of products purchased in early pregnancy stages for “pregnancy predictions''. Target then sent coupons for baby items to the young woman's home. Her father reached out to the company explaining his daughter is in high school and he feels as though Target is trying to encourage her to get pregnant. He later spoke with his daughter to find that she was indeed pregnant. How do we know if this young woman was ready to have this conversation with her father? What if this had caused a situation in their household that took a turn for the worst?

There is but so much that can be done for the consumer when it comes to the cyber world. However, I believe it has been proven that Big Data isn’t always in favor of the consumer. What can we do in a digital space that cannot necessarily be controlled or monitored fully? One option is a community-based forum for consumers to be updated on laws regarding Big Data that also acts as a space where consumers can voice what they feel can be updated daily to protect the privacy of the people. Unfortunately, there is no one solution to fixing this, but this could be the start of a bigger conversation that needs to be addressed.

By: Yasmeen James

Written: May 16th, 2020