FTC Releases Report on Big Data, Is Enforcement Next?

The FTC released its Staff Report, Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion? Understanding the Issues, that looks specifically at big data at the end of its lifecycle – how it is used after being collected and analyzed, and draws on information from the FTC’s 2014 workshop, “Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion?,” as well as the Commission’s seminar on Alternative Scoring Products.

“Big data’s role is growing in nearly every area of business, affecting millions of consumers in concrete ways,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “The potential benefits to consumers are significant, but businesses must ensure that their big data use does not lead to harmful exclusion or discrimination.”