Big data refers to large volumes of complex, variable data that require advanced techniques for capture, storage, distribution and analysis. It is defined by 3 characteristics: volume relating to size, variety referring to different data types and sources, and velocity regarding frequency of data generation. Data is gathered from online transactions, social media, sensors and devices. Big data provides benefits like new business opportunities but also challenges around privacy as it reveals details about individuals' lives. Companies use big data for business intelligence and analytics to understand customers better.

1. Big Data and
Information Privacy
Maria Correia
17th January 2019

2. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC
BY-SA
• It's not regular data.
• It's not business as usual.
• It's not something that an
experienced data analyst
may be ready to deal with.
Big data is NOT…

3. In its simplest possible
definition,
big data is data that's
just too big to work
on your computer.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
(Lynda.com, 2019)

4. “it describes large volumes of high velocity,
complex and variable data that require
advanced techniques and technologies to
enable the capture, storage, distribution,
management, and analysis of the
information.”
(TechAmerica Foundation’s Federal Big Data Commission, 2012)
Big data is…

5. Volume
VelocityVariety
Adapted from: Laney, 2001.
Big Data is defined based on 3 primary characteristics, also known as the 3Vs.
• Volume relates to the data’s size (terabytes,
petabytes, or zettabytes)
• Variety refers to the type of data and its source
(sensors, devices, social networks, the Web,
mobile phones, and so on)
• Velocity means how frequently the data is
generated (for instance, every millisecond,
second, minute, hour, day, week, month, or
year)
(Gandomi and Haider, 2015; Perera et al., 2015)

6. Data gathering
• Data are generated from online transactions,
email, video, images, clickstream, logs, search
queries, health records, and social networking
interactions; collected from increasingly
pervasive sensors deployed in infrastructure
such as communications networks, electric
grids, global positioning satellites, roads and
bridges, as well as in homes, clothing, and
mobile phones.
(Tene and Polonetsky, 2013, p. 240)

7. Data analysis helps
football clubs make
better signings.
Source: FT.com, 1 November 2018.

8. Benefits
The extraordinary societal benefits of big data must be
reconciled with increased risks to individuals’ privacy
(Tene and Polonetsky, 2013, p. 241)
Big data boosts the economy, transforming traditional
business models and creating new opportunities
through the use of business intelligence, sentiment
analysis, and analytics.

9. Major stakeholders
responsible for protecting
user privacy
• Protecting user privacy is a
responsibility not only of device
manufactures, services, and
app developers but also of
users themselves. Government
also has a key role to play in
governing standardization
processes (Perera et al., 2015, p.
32).
Source: Perera et al., 2015, p. 36.

10. Reading
• Little privacy in the age of big data (Claire
Porter, in The Guardian 20 June 2014)
• Turning big data into money proves harder
than expected (Richard Waters, in Financial
Times 4 October 2018)
• What is Big Data? (Bernard Marr, YouTube
2:05m, September 2014)
• Big data and little privacy: there is no
alternative? | Bart Preneel | TEDxULB
(TEDx Talks, June 2015)

11. What is Big Data?
by Bernard Marr, YouTube video 2:05m
What is the
features of
Big Data?
1
How is data
gathered?
2
What are the
benefits of
BD?
3
What is the
challenge?
4
How are
companies
using BD?
5
How does it
impact on
our life?
6

12. What is the
features of Big
Data? Our life is
online, high
volume of data
1
How is data
gathered?
Devices,
computers
smartphones etc
2
What are the
benefits of BD?
Window to the life
of customers, also
us as individuals
3
What is the
challenge? How to
turn this info into
knowledge, pick
up the relevant
parts
4
How are
companies using
BD? Consider BD
or left behind
5
How does it
impact on our
contemporary life?
6

13. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC

14. References
• Tene, O. and Polonetsky, J. (2012) Big data for all: Privacy and user control in the age of analytics. Nw. J. Tech. & Intell.
Prop., 11, p.xxvii.
• Perera, C., Ranjan, R., Wang, L., Khan, S.U. and Zomaya, A.Y. (2015) Big data privacy in the internet of things era. IT
Professional, 17(3), pp.32-39.
• FT.com 1/11/2018 John Burn-Murdoch “How data analysis helps football clubs make better signings”
https://www.ft.com/content/84aa8b5e-c1a9-11e8-84cd-9e601db069b8
• The Guardian (2014) Little privacy in the age of big data. 20 June 2014.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/20/little-privacy-in-the-age-of-big-data
• Lynda.com (2019) Big Data Foundations: Techniques and Concepts. https://www.lynda.com/Data-Science-tutorials/three-
Vs-big-data/158656/190769-4.html?org=northampton.ac.uk
• Gandomi & Haider (2015) Beyond the hype: Big data concepts, methods, and analytics. International Journal of
Information Management, 35(2), pp.137–144.
• Laney, D. (2001, February 6). 3-D data management: Controlling data volume, velocity and variety. Application Delivery
Strategies by META Group Inc. Retrievedfrom http://blogs.gartner.com/doug-laney/files/2012/01/ad949-3D-Data-
Management-Controlling-Data-Volume-Velocity-and-Variety.pdf