I have not decided my stance on the topic of “big data.” I never thought about the effects of big data on the criminal justice system until watching the TEDTalk, “Why statistics are the key to fighting crime,” by Anne Milgram. She, along with a team of statistical analytics, created a universal risk assessment tool to predict if someone may commit an act of violence if released. This is a positive example of where big data is useful. On the other hand, Glenn Greenwald pointed out the privacy concern with big data and using social media. He brings up the argument that only bad people have something to hide, and Greenwald contradicts this idea by saying all of us have something we want to hide. He states: “Their actions say otherwise… putting passwords on social media and emails, putting locks on the bedroom and bathroom doors…” (3:45). These are all examples where the majority of people prefer privacy. I do support the protection of our privacy. I found the TEDTalk “Your smartphone is a civil rights issue” by Christopher Soghoian very interesting. This source also backs the idea that security and privacy are essential. Soghoian brought up an important point, “everybody in our society … [should get] the same benefits of encryption and is equally able to protect themselves from surveillance by the state…” (6:06). It would be fair for everyone to have the choice to protect their privacy if they wanted to. I did not realize Apple smartphones were significantly more secure than Android smartphones. This gap is known as the Digital Security Divide. This could be problematic, especially since there has been an evident correlation between this gap and socioeconomic classes. I would like to spend time looking at academic articles about “big data” and privacy concerns.
