Social media users and their habits of sharing their personal information online are at the root of the recent Cambridge Analytica data mining scandal, according to a West Virginia University expert on management information systems. Once information has been freely shared, companies sell the information and others collect it, Stephane Collignon says.
Stephane E. Collignon Assistant Professor, Management Information Systems WVU College of Business and Economics
“At the origin of the latest Facebook scandal is us. We fail to fathom how much information we spread on the Internet through social media. Imagine five different media that gather what you think, what people constitute your circle of influence, what media you take your information from, etc. We are vulnerable to companies selling our information and other companies aggregating it. And if you think data is scattered and difficult to aggregate, think twice.
Contact Information: 304.293.8911; [email protected]
Brad Price Assistant Professor, Management Information Systems WVU College of Business and Economics
“Data that is collected on behavior at a personal level creates an advantage for companies who have it. Since just having the data can create this advantage, organizations may try to use data in ways that it was never originally intended. Sometimes this can be harmless, and in others it can cause issues. The ability and methodology of organizations to obtain this information is a major obstacle to them using data analytics and data science. The way companies obtain, use, and share this information is becoming more and more relevant to the public and deserves a level of transparency.
Contact information: 304.293.2246; [email protected]
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