The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") issued a report
this month entitled, "Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or
Exclusion."1 The theme of the report is that a
company's use of big data—be it in identifying and
providing services to consumers or in the hiring and management of
its workforce—may have both benefits and risks. This
article summarizes the report and provides recommendations for
employers regarding the use of data science and predictive
analytics in decision-making.
The 33-page report recaps a workshop held more than 15 months
ago, on September 15, 2014. It describes the growing practice of
using big data in marketing, fraud prevention, human resources and
other fields. It notes that data science provides "numerous
opportunities for improvements in society" and identifies
market-wide benefits of increased efficiency in decision-making,
and the creation of opportunities for low-income and underserved
communities. The examples of data science improving lives
