Most of the time, when we think about the important issue of privacy in a world where data is being gathered about us every day -- who we are, what we do, what we buy -- we probably think in terms of balance. Post-911, we want the security of passenger screening by airlines and the government, but we may not want them to read all about our traffic tickets or grades in school. We may like the convenience of buying groceries with a credit card, but not at the price of grocery chains tracking and analyzing our buying habits. We probably consider ourselves to be patriotic, but do we really like the idea that personal information about our kid is being gathered and stored in a mega-database accessible to both the government and private business?

As founder of the Computer Ethics Institute and an expert in the field of data management, Ramon Barquin does a lot of thinking about issues like these, too. But he doesn't necessarily think in terms of striking a balance between our wishes and our fears. He knows that various groups in our society, like the federal government or the marketing industry, are driven by their own agendas -- to protect citizens, to offer greater choice in goods and services -- but these may not always be our agendas as well. It's critical that each of these entities not allow their agendas to drive them across certain ethical lines. And in Barquin's view, the responsibility for this rests not only with our policymakers, but with all those entrusted with data.

Are we hearing groans coming from already-overworked CIOs right now? Remember, failing to "do the right thing" -- to invest in good data warehousing software and systems, and to devise and adhere to data collection policies that are of high ethical standards -- may result in "killing the goose that laid the golden egg," advises Barquin. Spectacular "lapses" such as the Choicepoint debacle result in greater consumer mistrust and more pressure on lawmakers to increase regulation, and oversight (reference Sarbanes-Oxley). The ability to gather data about customers is a real benefit for businesses, enabling more personalized customer service and greater consumer choice, he says. But consumer backlash due to lax data protection could dismantle all the capabilities that have been built into data warehousing over the years.

If your business enjoys the privilege of gathering and storing data about customers, tune in to this conversation with an expert who's built a career on not only utilizing, but protecting, that privilege.

Bio

Ramon C. Barquin, Ph.D., is the President and CEO of Barquin International. He is a former IBM executive and an internationally known expert in the field of knowledge management. Dr. Barquin co-founded and was the first President of the Data Warehousing Institute, the leading professional organization in the field. He also founded and heads the Computer Ethics Institute.

An electrical engineer and mathematician by training, Dr. Barquin has taught at MIT, the University of Maryland, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He edited the Prentice Hall series on Data Warehousing, co-edited two books on Knowledge Management in the public sector, and has published over 100 technical and management articles on information technology. He organized and chaired the E-Gov Knowledge Management conferences in 2000 and 2001, and has conducted executive seminars in electronic government and knowledge management for the Brookings Institution.

Resources

Barquin  International

PDF: Data  Collection and Analysis: Balancing Individual Rights and Societal  Benefits

The Ten Commandments of  Computer Ethics

Production Credits

Dana Farver, Executive Producer, Communities Editor-in-Chief
Tom  Parish, Audio Producer, Show Host
Kimberly Stone, Web Development  Manager
Scott Ebner, Web Developer