“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
On October 2nd, hundreds of journalists will fill up locations in New York, London and Singapore to experience what big data feels like, in depth and in person. I will be here in Singapore, lucky enough to report for EMC TV as it unfolds, live streaming to the EMC Community Network.
Good morning to Singapore, from my room at the Swissotel.
“What is there to ‘report on?’” you may ask as you rightfully acknowledge that AAOP has a book, iPad app and TED-inspired student event happening over the next few months. There is plenty to be out there, why this event?
The answer is us – how we are generating, participating and ultimately being big data.
Now that captivates me.
Through the availability of smartphone apps, the project has given a platform by which we can participate in the live pulse of information flowing throughout this nervous system we call the Internet.
Wait.. queue mass histeria! 
Here’s the part that has me writing this morning. We all get a bit twitchy once we realize our data could be viewed by others. Warnings of identify theft, hackers, viruses, rootkits, spyware and every other fearful phrase run rampant on our intellect. It’s natural that we fear what we don’t understand, but here is the moment Marie Curie reminded me of today: we must work through our fears so that we can understand more than ever before.
To help that process along, I spent the last 4 days reading and rereading the fine print. What I found was a thorough and honest design. I’ll break it down into a FAQ you can search through to quash concerns as you get panicked.
DISCLAIMER: I’m outlining this information to the best of my ability. No one approved of or requested me doing so. Read all documents yourself to be sure of accuracy.
In a Nutshell:
- The application is well architected to be OPT IN. Your data is as safe as any other PII online, and even safer than Facebook since no name or email is required or ever associated with your information.
Q: What kinds of data is collected?
- There are both passive and voluntary data points gathered.
Q: What passive information?
Specifically,
- OS of the phone (iOS or Android)
- Tally of bluetooth and WiFi connections you use (does not say collects SSIDs)
- Speed of those connections
- Music categories, but not specific songs
- Tally of contacts, but not specifics on contacts
“…we will aggregate this information with similar information gathered from other users of the App but when we disclose this aggregate information, we won’t do so in a manner that identifies you personally, since we won’t have your name or contact information.”
Q: Is that data linked to my name?
From documents -
You are not required to provide personally-identifying information to use the App. We will not ask for your name, email address or other contact information.
Q: Where is my data physically?
From documents -
This information may be collected, stored, and managed by our third-party service provider, Originate Inc., acting on our behalf. Our agreement with Originate prohibits them from using this information for any purpose other than providing services to us.
Q: What sort of physical security exists?
The information that we collect through the App is stored within databases that we control (or that are hosted on our behalf) on servers maintained in protected environments. However, no physical or electronic security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the security of our servers or databases, nor can we guarantee that information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted to us or our third-party service providers over the Internet.
Q: When you say the data will be available to everyone, is there concern of manipulation? Is AAOP selling the data or the marketing to the users?
No and no.
And an interesting clause:
Responsibility for all material submitted to the Site lies with each user — you alone are responsible for the material you submit. We do not control the content of the material submitted by users of the Site. You understand that we have no obligation to monitor, edit, or censor the material submitted by users of the Site. Take what you find here with a grain of salt.
The #Nerdherd’s word
You may know I have a curiosity for security analysis. It’s what has connected to the CCDC, got me into security analysis for EMC last year and has me subscribed to yCombinator news. All this information is to say I’m not unaware of security risks.
It is due to this understanding that I conclude I have nothing to fear from the Human Face of Big Data Sensor App project.
Even Superman was scared of the Internet when it first arrived.
If you use Google or have a Facebook account, or even just own a phone in the United States, you could very well be tracked. Think about the quote:
“Everyone thinks when you go to Google you’re taking data out of the system, but you’re actually putting data into the system.”
Potential for misuse does not make all of these technologies malevolent in and of themselves, but rather it gives us the responsibility to be aware.
To focus only on the fear of harm rather than the opportunity for unbelievable discovery from what data has to show us is simply not for me.
That’s what continues to impress me about AAOP with regards to the Human Face of Big Data. The company’s candidness shows opportunity.
Don’t let fear get in the way.