Facebook, Twitter and other social media/social networking sites affect privacy discussions and practices in businesses of all kinds: read Michael Fitzgerald's article in CIO magazine. A quick take-away: Alex Pentland's "New Deal for Data" which recommends the following:
- Consumers have the right to possess their own data.
- Consumers can control the use of that data.
- Consumers can dispose of or distribute that data as they choose.
Sounds idealistic but by setting the bar so high, it might be possible to move privacy back toward a consumer-centric position without deterring new applications, whether in social media, health care information, location-based services, or mash-ups. In fact, clear privacy standards would help ensure a level playing field for the development costs to launch new services.
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