Ethics of Big Data Subject of $3 Million U Maryland Grant

The University of Maryland has won a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study the ethics of capturing and using big data.

Dubbed PERVADE (for Pervasive Data Ethics for Computational Research), the four-year project will be led by the university's College of Information Studies and will examine issues around user consent, regulation and risk assessment to help guide technology developers, policymakers and regulators.

The team will look to consumers, other researchers, providers and regulators in the United States and abroad to understand how different interested parties understand their obligations and decisions and how those decisions affect the way systems are designed and used.

"More specifically," according to a news release, "the team's research will examine how people experience the reuse of their personal data; what social factors influence people's willingness to share their data; how and when consent should be given; and how consumers' concerns can be shared with data system designers and big data researchers."

"Whether mobile phone apps, website search engines, wearable technology or social platforms, consumer information has become highly trackable and available," said Katie Shilton, associate professor at UMD and principal investigator on the grant, in a prepared statement. "This has resulted in an ethically questionable free-for-all in research and marketing."

At the end of the project in 2021, the team plans to produce best practices, tools for making better decisions, risk-management strategies, materials for public education and an open dataset of their findings for the various groups involved.

"By empowering researchers with information about the norms and risks of big data research, we can make sure that users of any digital platform are only involved in research in ways they don't find surprising or unfair," added Shilton.

For more information visit pervade.umd.edu.

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • glowing blue nodes connected by thin lines in an abstract network on a dark gray to black gradient background

    Report: Generative AI Taking Over SD-WAN Management

    In a few years, nearly three quarters of network operators will use generative AI for SD-WAN management, according to a new report from research firm Gartner.

  • abstract pattern with interconnected blue nodes and lines forming neural network shapes, overlaid with semi-transparent bars and circular data points

    Data, AI Lead Educause Top 10 List for 2025

    Educause recently released its annual Top 10 list of the most important technology issues facing colleges and universities in the coming year, with a familiar trio leading the bunch: data, analytics, and AI. But the report presents these critical technologies through a new lens: restoring trust in higher education.

  • abstract image representing AI tools for reading and writing

    McGraw Hill Introduces 2 Gen AI Learning Tools

    Global education company McGraw Hill has added two new generative AI tools to help personalize learning experiences for both K–12 and higher ed students, according to a news release.

  • abstract image of fragmented, floating geometric shapes with holographic lock icons and encrypted code, set against a dark, glitchy background with intersecting circuits and swirling light trails

    Education Sector a Top Target for Mobile Malware Attacks

    Mobile and IoT/OT cyber threats continue to grow in number and complexity, becoming more targeted and sophisticated, according to a new report from Zscaler.