FTC Report Alerts Organizations About The Risks And Rewards Of Big Data Analytics

On January 6, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report that it hopes will educate organizations on the important laws and research that are relevant to big data analytics. The report, Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion? Understanding the Issues, looks specifically at how big data is used after it is collected and analyzed and provides suggestions aimed at maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks of using big data.

Risk and Rewards

The report argues that big data analytics can provide numerous opportunities for improvements in society. In addition to more effectively matching products and services to consumers, big data can create opportunities for low income and underserved communities. The report highlights a number of innovative uses of big data that provide benefits to underserved populations, such as increased educational attainment, access to credit through nontraditional methods, specialized health care for