Using data for good: From preventing human trafficking to gender equality
Similar to the ideas of conscious consumerism before it, companies are now using their data for good by helping charitable causes and making a positive contribution to society
The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal served as a timely reminder of the risks of big data misuse – but it also has the potential to be used for good.
Bringing the data analytics tools and expertise from the business world over to the not-for-profit and public sectors has the potential to “change the world”, according to Cindi Howson, VP analyst for business insights firm Gartner.
The movement, known as Data for Good, sees people and businesses crossing traditional organisational boundaries as part of a wider aim to improve society.
Ms Howson said: “This idea of social purpose in the consumer space has been going strong for around 10 years.
“It started with a company called Toms Shoes, which donates a second pair of shoes for each one purchased.
“There are now a number of organisations based on the idea of bringing social purpose to the consumer space.”
Now, this idea of aligning positive action with the business plan is moving into the world of data.
The concept of the ethical consumer was first brought to the public attention in 1989 by a UK magazine of the same name.
It’s been proven that consumers are willing to spend more on products branded with a Fair Trade label, while ethical and environmental considerations are impacting on the spending of the millennial population.
Mrs Howson said: “The valuation of firms that have good environmental and social performance is higher than those that don’t.
“Employers with social initiatives and Data for Good programmes will have 20% higher retention rate, and 50% faster job fills for data and analytics roles.
“In this way, Data for Good could be a differentiator for businesses.”
Digital Reasoning, an American tech company using digital intelligence to aid national security services and healthcare companies, uses text data and social media posts to predict the likelihood of human trafficking.
The anti-slavery programme connected data from non-profit organisations, governments, and the banking industry to create Spotlight – a web tool that provides intelligence on adverts for escorts and determines the likelihood they have been trafficked.
The company found that 60% of people who have been trafficked are sold into the sex trade and most are under the age of 24.
