The New York Times reports on the boon big data is providing to the social science field and the corresponding ethical and privacy implications of such research. Cornell University Prof. Jeffrey T. Hancock said, “This is a new era … I liken it a little bit to when chemistry got the microscope.” Hancock was one of the authors of the Facebook emotion contagion study. To help limit the fallout while continuing to make use of big data, Hancock and other university and corporate researchers are trying to develop ethical guidelines for such research. He said, “This is a giant societal conversation that needs to take place.” Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez, who did not comment specifically on the Facebook study, said consumers “don’t want to be left in the dark, and they don’t want to be surprised at how (data is) used.” (Registration may be required to access this story.)
Full Story