Maintaining privacy in big data analytics poses several challenges due to the sheer volume and variety of data involved. One of the primary challenges is ensuring that personally identifiable information (PII) is adequately protected throughout the data collection, storage, and analysis processes. With big data analytics, there is a risk of re-identification, where seemingly anonymized data can be linked back to individuals through cross-referencing with other datasets. Additionally, the complexity of big data systems and the use of advanced analytics techniques like machine learning can make it difficult to fully understand and control how personal data is being used and potentially misused. Another challenge is complying with privacy regulations such as the GDPR and CCPA, which require organizations to obtain explicit consent for data collection and processing, as well as to provide individuals with the ability to access, rectify, and delete their personal data.
To put it simply, imagine big data analytics as a massive library filled with books containing sensitive information about people. The challenge lies in ensuring that each book is securely locked away, with restricted access to only authorized personnel. However, with the vast number of books and the interconnected nature of the library, there’s a risk that someone could piece together information from different books to identify individuals, even if their names are not explicitly mentioned. Moreover, there are strict rules about who can enter the library, how long the books can be kept, and the rights of individuals to request that their books be removed from the library altogether.
Please note that the provided answer is a brief overview; for a comprehensive exploration of privacy, privacy-enhancing technologies, and privacy engineering, as well as the innovative contributions from our students at Carnegie Mellon’s Privacy Engineering program, we highly encourage you to delve into our in-depth articles available through our homepage at https://privacy-engineering-cmu.github.io/.
Author: My name is Aman Priyanshu, you can check out my website for more details or check out my other socials: LinkedIn and Twitter