Technology Policy Roadmap: Big Data Privacy

Big Data is increasingly becoming more mature and part of how to do business in almost all sectors. This is due to the valuable insights and analytics Big Data can offer to businesses. However, the expanded use of Big Data is not without risks. One major such risk is the breach of privacy and security of individuals and their data. This chapter examines how to address the privacy data concerns that the pervasiveness of data collection, analysis, and storage creates regarding individuals’ ability to control their data. To conduct this analysis, the authors leveraged technology roadmapping (TRM) analysis in combination with quality function deployment (QFD) to assess the data privacy relevant factors. The focus was on the social problems, technologies, resources, and industries that are most relevant to this issue. The findings showed that when it comes to data privacy, the healthcare industry is one of the most critical industries to be considered due to the nature of the data generated through medical processes and technologies. Additionally, the paper found that enforcement mechanisms, specifically in the form of federal enforcement agencies, are the most effective approaches to ensure compliance by actors. It is also realized that there are extenuating political circumstances and increased costs that make the implementation of those policies challenging in the United States.