Big data and the Internet of Things are two rapidly developing technologies that are revolutionising the way we live and work. These tools can be very useful for digital marketing if you can get your head around them.

Big Data: the enormous amounts of data that are gathered from various sources, such as sensors, social media, and online transactions.

Internet of Things (IoT): the network of devices that can be assigned IP addresses and are connected to the internet with the ability to communicate with one another. 

Big data and IoT have already proven useful in many industries and areas of life. Click the video below to learn about the uses of big data in retail. It details how big data can help a business owner unlock value surrounding issues like risk management and better targeting customers by predicting consumer spending habits.

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IoT also has a lot of everyday use. An example is in the agriculture industry. The video below showcases how farms can become more productive by utilising technology, like drones and sensors, to collect data that can improve efficiency and monitor crops and livestock.

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However, with the rise of big data and IoT, there is increasing conversion about its dark side. There are growing concerns about the protection of personal data and the balance between innovation and privacy. Technologies that are a part of IoT are collecting so much data on us all, most of which, we don’t even know is being collected. This creates a big question: is it ethical?

With so much data being collected, there is a risk that personal information could be misused or shared without consent. Data harvesting is the practice of collecting large amounts of data from various sources, often without the knowledge or consent of the individuals involved. This data is then used for market research, political campaigns, etc. A famous example of this is the Cambridge Analytica scandal where the consultancy firm sourced data from millions of people on Facebook without their knowledge. This data was then used to created targeted political advertisements to Americans before the 2016 US presidential election.

Companies that collect and analyse data have a responsibility to ensure the privacy of users. They can utilise data for innovation but also need to be transparent about what data is being collected, how it is being used, and who it is being shared with.