Managing Privacy In A Data-Driven World

Companies are handling more and more data, as seen in the endless rows of servers in this Google data center in Oklahoma. (Photo: Google)

We continue with “Data Driven,” a series of articles examining the volume of data generated by emerging technologies. Today, Bill Kleyman examines the handling of personal data amid the explosion of data creation and storage. 

It’s become pretty clear that very soon we’ll all become a persistently connected society. We’re building smart cities, homes, and leveraging smarter tools in our everyday lives. This includes everything from connected devices to cars.

But do you know what comes hand-in-hand with persistent connectivity? Data. A lot of data.

Cisco recently pointed out that by 2021, data center storage installed capacity will grow to 2.6 ZB, up from 663 EB in 2016, nearly a 4-fold growth. And, globally, the data stored in data centers will nearly quintuple by 2021 to reach 1.3 ZB by 2021. Finally, driven by all of these connected devices and the Internet of Things, the total amount of data created (and not necessarily stored) by any device will reach 847 ZB per year by 2021, up from 218 ZB per year in 2016. Data created is two orders of magnitude higher than data stored.

We’re experiencing a new type of revolution. Beyond connected devices, the next technological age will absolutely revolve around data. Structured, unstructured, multi-sourced, and numerous other types of data points are all impact the way we do business and conduct even go about our lives.

Let me give you an example. I have no doubt that you’ve heard about GDPR. To give you a brief definition, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a specific regulation in the EU law. It covers data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union. Here’s the other important note, it also addresses the export of personal data outside the EU.

Although it might be somewhat of a new regulation for us to hear about, it’s actually been in the works for more than two years. And, you’re definitely feeling it now. Have you had to accept a plethora of new ‘Updated Privacy Policy’ statements? Feels like everything along with your electronic toothbrush has been updating them.

There are real ramifications if you don’t accept. For example, if you’re in Europe, you won’t even be able to adjust your thermostat unless you agree to the updated privacy policy. Social media platforms have disabled thousands of accounts for not agreeing to the latest terms and conditions. Others, like news sites, are forced to change their EU delivery altogether. If you went to visit the LA Times website from most European countries, you’d be met with a simple message: “Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in most European countries.” They’re not the only ones. The list includes the Chicago Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, and others.

Government entities aren’t doing this just to mess with multi-national organizations. People want to have the right to be forgotten. And, they want better management of their data sources. In fact, the way corporations manage some of your most private data is actually not all that great. A lot of organizations can’t confirm 100% if an individual’s personal information is purged from all systems, forever. And, even though many might know where your data resides, not all of them have good auditing capabilities to track updates, deletion, and even access.

The point is that data can be a powerful tool, but it can also complicate things. So, what happens if you’re not a consumer but a large organization? What happens when you have multiple data centers spanning the globe? How do you work with data and most of all leverage it? Let me give you a few thoughts to prepare you for the deluge of data in the coming years:

In my experience, data can be classified in terms of what it’s doing for the business.