Privacy

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(No Transcript)
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Privacy
Privacy as a personal preference
Is there such a thing as too much privacy?
Privacy is NECESSARY
What will be discussed

• Why privacy is an issue
• Dangers of lack of privacy
• Databases and data mining
• Information gathering
• Possibilities of using databases
• Some questions for you to think about

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Why is privacy an issue?

• Things people may want to keep private
• Anonymity on the internet
• Just because!

How computers affect information gathering and
storage

• Faster and easier
• New records kept by governments and private
  organizations
• Higher level of information detail
• More accessible to more people
• Portable in large quantities

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Possible social effects of lack of privacy

• Generic relationships lacking in trust
• Conformity makes it difficult to bring about
  social change
• Lack of independent thinking
• Impossibility of democracy

Dangers of erroneous and irrelevant information

• Nothing wrong, nothing to fear?
• Lack of updated information can lead to
  misconceptions
• Irrelevant information can lead to illegal racial
  profiling, discrimination

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What is a database?

• Collection of related data examples
• Usually searchable in the form of queries
• Makes information storage, retrieval, and
  alteration fast and easy

How databases relate to data mining

• Databases are the main subject of data mining
• The more information that is stored in a
  database, the more can be mined
• Collective amount of information in databases

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Software available for data mining

• Huge amount of programs available in US and
  internationally
• Website http//www.andypryke.com/university/softw
  are.html
• Over 50 programs

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How databases enhance information gathering

• Concatenation of information
• Variety of information
• Personal example!!

How databases can help and hinder

• Nature of database information
• Help Erroneous/irrelevant information problem
• Hinder Time and effort

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Broader possibilities using databases

• Profiling to make consumer predictions and
  suggestions political predictions
• Example Amazon.com
• Cookies
• Mass information gathering

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• Do you think that the broad information found in
  databases does more to destroy
• privacy or to help research? Why? Where can the
  line between the two be drawn?

• Is it wrong for companies to use information
  found in databases to profile
• prospective clientele?

• What kind of control do you think a person should
  have over his or her own
• information? How can a person assume that
  control?

• If you had a database of information about your
  classmates, would you sell it to
• a company that wanted it to improve their
  marketing to college-age students?

• You work for a bank. What would you do if you
  were told to use irrelevant information in a
  database (such as race, gender, religion, etc.)
  to determine the recipients of loans?