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Big Data v. Data Minimization

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miniby Angela Guess

Bernard Marr writes in Forbes, “Bigger is always better, right? Well, not necessarily. Even in the realm of big data, companies and governments are beginning to see the value in a ‘less is more’ approach.  This is actually in stark contrast with things data-driven CEOs like Jeff Bezos at Amazon believed when he said ‘We never throw away data’. In fact, the European Union has recently included this in new laws of the Data Protection Act that will come into effect soon.  The act says, ‘Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.’ The Act doesn’t define ‘adequate, relevant and not excessive,’ but in effect it means collecting and holding only the minimum amount of personal data needed to fulfil your purpose. This is part of the practice known as ‘data minimization’.”

Marr goes on, “Data minimization refers to the practice of limiting the collection of personal information to that which is directly relevant and necessary to accomplish a specified purpose. As companies and organizations began to understand the power of data, and as data becomes more ubiquitous and easy to collect, analysts are faced with a ‘tsunami’ of potential data points. For a time, the impulse was to save all of it — indefinitely. But as the Internet of Things continues to grow, organizations are faced with more and more ways to collect more and more kinds of data, including and especially private, personally identifiable data.”

Read more here.

Photo credit: Flickr/ frankieleon

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