Big Data, Respect, and Getting to Know Your Customers

The existence of “Big Data” is a hot topic these days.  Everyone is familiar with the phrase “knowledge is power” but with preponderance of ways to track our every move, expression, and thought, where should we draw the line as to how much power is enough?  Even further, where should the line be drawn as to the pursuit of personal data and its applications?

Recently in the media, Google provided a great talking point on the topic of where to draw the privacy line.  Engineers equipped Google’s Streetview cars with wardriving capability.  What does this mean?  It means that it equipped cars to absorb the data emitted by wireless routers to correlate the name, signal, and location for future use in mapping capabilities.  That’s not the key issue though.  The key issue is that a Google engineer put in an extra bit of code to enable Google’s devices to record unencrypted internet traffic transmitted by wireless devices. Simply stated, Google equipped its cars to record internet traffic that people transmitted. 

Now to the bottom line…was this wrong?  My answer…it depends.  It depends on the purpose of recording this data.  To date, it is still not known publicly why Google wanted to record this unencrypted internet traffic.  Given how much of an uproar this caused I will pose one more question.  If this was just an incident of tracking people’s internet activity, what makes this so different from Google stockpiling internet traffic through Gmail, Google Chrome, You Tube, Google Search, and anything else in Google’s eco-system?  Two things separate these actions; intended use and expectation of privacy.

In our daily lives, there are some things we do knowing that the actions we put on display are on show for the world to see regardless of whether or not we would like them to be.  When we have conversations while passing strangers, sing in the car, protest, and cheer at a football game.  All of these actions convey an idea intended for a specific audience, but, they are done in eyeshot or earshot of the world.  In these cases, it would be illogical and unreasonable to expect privacy.  To the contrary, when we close the curtains to our home or close the door to an office before a discrete conversation our actions show an attempt to maintain privacy.  As such, these attempts should be respected.  Ultimately though, the rule of dealing with reporters sums up the idea of expectation of privacy.  If you don’t want the information out there, don’t put it out there.  If there is a logical expectation of privacy, the ability to breach that privacy is not ethical, even if it is easily accomplished with the assistance of technology.

Addressing a topic more directly associated with ethics, there comes a question of how can the information acquired be used with respect to good taste.  In the example of an individual walking down the sidewalk having a conversation in public, if the information was heard by a stranger and later published, there was no breach of trust because none existed before that moment.  Take the same case in a workplace in which workers passing each other in the halls overhear conversations.  If any form of relationship with mutual respect exists, then repeating the said information or using it without consulting the originator would likely be considered in bad taste.  Furthermore, if the information is used for the benefit of the originator, such as to buy an appropriate gift for a surprise party, the information used in this eavesdropping would be viewed as positive.  On the other hand, if the information were used to, for instance, get the originator fired, it would likely be viewed as a clearly negative use of information. 

So what do these examples show?  The question of ethics in eavesdropping depends first on the level of trust between the originator and the observer.  If mutual respect exists, then consent to use the data further for the benefit of the user should be acquired if the action is to remain in good taste.  If the data is intentionally acquired without consent or is used to harm the originator it is unethical.  But how does all of this play into Big Data and Customer Insights?

With the rise of social media and the fact that millennials live roughly half of their lives online on average, a wealth of information about people, their desires, and their personalities exists in this virtual world.  Taking into consideration the cases provided above, companies need to consider 4 things:

1.      The customer’s expectation of privacy

2.      Making the customer aware of the intended use of the data

3.      Gaining the customer’s willing consent

4.      Maintaining openness and respect throughout the company to customer relationship.

When viewed plainly, respected fully, and performed openly, leveraging the wealth of information available on the internet about customers these days is just a great tool to serve the customer and improve their experience.  The 1’s and 0’s of the internet have allowed us to move forward from walking around with a clip board awkwardly saying, “Can I ask you a few questions about…”  Instead, we can create a seamless, open experience by explaining that we would like to get to know the customer a bit better in order to serve them better by simply clicking a box and letting us see the world through their eyes.  Instead of asking a customer if we can discreetly follow them through a store to examine their buying habits, would they mind allowing us to use internet cookies to learn what is important to them in their buying process? Then finally asking the customer if instead of sitting in a white room with strangers awkwardly answering questions in a focus group they would allow us into their circle of friends on Facebook and Twitter to hear their opinions and views unabridged and impromptu as they would like the world to hear them? 

Throughout all of this, maintaining openness with a clear statement of what data is being captured and exactly what its intended use is would be paramount.  This is not capturing data secretively through web crawlers, or sneaking code in to farm games or a like button a website.  This is examining the components in a relationship and respecting them.

The bottom line on ethical use of personal data in customer insights?  Respect the expectation of privacy, respect the nature of the relationship, gain consent before use, and remain open throughout the data exchange and use.  Adhering to these guidelines will not only create ethical behavior but will increase customer goodwill and enhance the overall relationship.  The virtual age we’re in provides a new, super powered tool set for customer insight.  By applying old fashioned standards of courtesy and respect we maximize the benefit for all parties involved.