What is a potential ethical concern related to Big Data usage?

A key ethical concern associated with Big Data usage centers on privacy violations and unauthorized data sharing. As organizations gather vast amounts of personal and sensitive information, the risk of this data being misused or inadequately protected escalates.

When individuals provide data, often they do so with a reasonable expectation of privacy and that their information will be handled responsibly. However, in many cases, this expectation can be compromised through unauthorized access or sharing of data, leading to potential harm to individuals, social trust erosion, and legal ramifications for organizations.

Moreover, as the algorithms and analyses associated with Big Data become more powerful, there is a tendency to infer sensitive information about individuals that they may not wish to share, further exacerbating the ethical dilemma. These considerations highlight the importance of establishing clear guidelines and ethical standards in the implementation and management of Big Data technologies to protect individual rights and uphold data integrity.