Examining the Ethical and Legal Challenges of Anonymized Data Sharing in the Era of Big Data Analytics

Abstract

The rise of big data analytics has enabled powerful insights through the analysis of large, complex datasets. However, sharing and aggregation of such data raises serious ethical and legal privacy concerns. Anonymization techniques are often applied before data sharing to protect identities, but research shows these methods are imperfect and vulnerable to re-identification attacks. This paper examines the key ethical and legal challenges surrounding anonymized data practices in the era of big data. It provides background on big data characteristics, anonymization methods, and re-identification vulnerabilities. It then reviews major privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA that grant individuals control over their data. Next, it analyzes ethical frameworks, including autonomy, justice, and utilitarianism, in relation to anonymized data. Finally, it proposes policies to address legal and ethical data sharing challenges, such as transparency, purpose limitations, contextual ethics reviews, and advancing privacy-enhancing techniques. Overall, while anonymization facilitates valuable research, continuous reassessment of its application is crucial as technologies and data use rapidly advance. With diligent governance and stakeholder engagement, data can be analyzed responsibly within ethical norms to benefit society.