Needed Regulation Informed consent is given each time a user accepts the acceptable use policy/privacy policy on a website. However, how informed is it? Most people fail to read that policy before accepting it and it’s no wonder. Most companies find it challenging to explain the complex flows and usages of information in data mining. They also use technical terms and vocabulary that aren’t easily understood by everyday consumers. They also tend to be very lengthy. Walmart’s privacy policy is 3,200 words long. It is no wonder that many consumers fail to read it before giving their consent. The first area of regulation should be to simplify security policies. These policies should explain in plain terms what data will be collected and how it
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Currently, there are no laws from disclosing personal private information that is acquired through data mining techniques. In the case of Target, this information was acquired through these strategies and as such were not covered by privacy laws. However, the majority of people would agree disclosure of a pregnancy violated the teenager’s privacy. Therefore, these data mining techniques allowed the disclosure of information that would have clearly been covered by The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) under any other circumstances (Barocas & Nissenbaum, 2014). Also, because the information is predictive, it could have easily been wrong, causing all kinds of undue stress and anxiety. It is in the best interest of a company’s bottom line to know what items to have in stock. However, pinpointing health issues crosses a line. Addressing these concerns will not be easy. However, regulations covering what information can be gathered and how it can be used would reduce this …show more content…
As discussed previously, Walmart collects a tremendous amount of data on their customers. The value of this data can be seen by the impressive sales numbers and growth and they have made the use of this data a central part of their plan for growth. In fact Walmart’s CEO of Global E-commerce, Neil Ashe, explained their technological aspirations at a recent investor conference when he said their goal was to “know what every product is and where it is, know every person and have the ability to connect them together in a transaction” (Centerformediajustice.org; Colorofchange.org; Sumofus.org, 2013). Allowing customers to opt out of this data collection or to delete this data will impede Walmart’s ability to target items to consumers or forecast customer demand. There is also concern about the cost of compliance. In fact, Walmart is so concerned about the impact of privacy legislation that they have spent $34 million since 2008 lobbying against any meaningful
Currently, there are no laws from disclosing personal private information that is acquired through data mining techniques. In the case of Target, this information was acquired through these strategies and as such were not covered by privacy laws. However, the majority of people would agree disclosure of a pregnancy violated the teenager’s privacy. Therefore, these data mining techniques allowed the disclosure of information that would have clearly been covered by The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) under any other circumstances (Barocas & Nissenbaum, 2014). Also, because the information is predictive, it could have easily been wrong, causing all kinds of undue stress and anxiety. It is in the best interest of a company’s bottom line to know what items to have in stock. However, pinpointing health issues crosses a line. Addressing these concerns will not be easy. However, regulations covering what information can be gathered and how it can be used would reduce this …show more content…
As discussed previously, Walmart collects a tremendous amount of data on their customers. The value of this data can be seen by the impressive sales numbers and growth and they have made the use of this data a central part of their plan for growth. In fact Walmart’s CEO of Global E-commerce, Neil Ashe, explained their technological aspirations at a recent investor conference when he said their goal was to “know what every product is and where it is, know every person and have the ability to connect them together in a transaction” (Centerformediajustice.org; Colorofchange.org; Sumofus.org, 2013). Allowing customers to opt out of this data collection or to delete this data will impede Walmart’s ability to target items to consumers or forecast customer demand. There is also concern about the cost of compliance. In fact, Walmart is so concerned about the impact of privacy legislation that they have spent $34 million since 2008 lobbying against any meaningful