Data has always been one of the driving forces for the growth of any organisation worldwide. This fact could not be truer today, where it is estimated that 3.5 quintillion bytes of data is created per day in 2023 (WP Dev Shed, 2022). This value is expected to increase exponentially with the growth of the Internet of Things, with as much as 463 zettabytes of data created everyday by 2025 (Raconteur, 2020).
Data can reveal so much about an individual, from their hobbies and interests, to their purchasing habits and patterns. This raises the concerns amongst consumers on how far organisations should be allowed to go to gain insight from their data. By delving into ethics in data management, organisations can ensure the data they collect, store and use adhere to the ethical standards their consumers expect from them.
Here are some key ethical considerations in data management for organisations to think about:
- Data Privacy – deals with handling personal data in compliance with relevant data protection laws, regulations and general privacy best practices.
- Data Security – the implementation of protection measures to prevent digital information from unauthorised access or corruption throughout the data lifecycle.
- Data Accuracy – calls for the use of data without any errors that originates from an authentic and reliable source.
- Data Responsibility – the practice of using data in a safe and ethical manner that complies with relevant regulatory measures.
- Data Transparency – involves ensuring that data is used with integrity, lawfully, fairly and traceably.
To ensure these ethical considerations are met, organisations should practice the following:
- Develop a Data Management Plan
A data management plan is a document defining how data is handled throughout lifecycle. It outlines the guidelines and best practices organisations should be aware of when it comes to working with data, such as the duration for storing data and the security measures for protecting sensitive data. Implementing a proper data management plan ensures that organisations and their employees are protected from data losses, and are able to make better informed decisions based on high quality data.
- Obtain Consent
Getting consumer consent is more important than ever and consumers are increasingly getting greater leverage over their data. For instance, Accenture found that 83% of consumers believe organisations should be transparent about how consumer data is used. As such, organisations worldwide must priortise the concept of obtaining consumer consent to avoid non-compliance and reputational damage. This involves being transparent over why the data is collected, how it will be used and the options to opt out from providing data to the organisations.
- Implement Data Security Measures
With the increasing reliance on data to make business decisions, it is crucial for organisations to have data security measures in place to prevent data losses and breaches from occurring. For example, to practice safe data sharing, organisations should limit access to the data by sharing it only with relevant parties, or make the data anonymous prior to sharing it. Organisations should also implement proper risk management procedures to mitigate the risks associated with data losses and breaches should they occur.
It is clear that ethics in data management is a crucial part of any organisation’s business strategy. Check out our Introduction to Data Management course to learn more about how you can best manage your data.