Big data

ePrivacy advises companies during the development phase and subjects big data applications to compliance checks designed to identify areas of weakness from a data protection and data security perspective. Certification in the form of the recognized ePrivacyseal data protection seal will be possible where a product meets the stringent requirements as to data protection and data security to an exemplary degree.

What is big data?

As a result of our increasing use of digital media, all of us generate an immense amount of data. For example, surfing from website to website or switching between social media platforms generates large quantities of specific data. This data usually originates from different sources and as such is not structured, i.e. it is not uniform in nature. In order to enable faster evaluation of the data and the retrieval of information, it must be converted into a uniform format with the aid of databases. The processing of such digital data enables companies to gain a better insight into market potential and customer behavior and to make informed decisions on this basis. The use of big data enhances customer segmentation for marketing and distribution purposes, by way of example, thereby minimizing loss of potential customers in the advertising context.

Some examples of the use of big data applications are:

  • The use of data management platforms (DMPs)
  • Analysis of social media trends for new product concepts
  • Management of customer defection
  • Connected car telematics applications 
  • eHealth applications for electronic patient file
  • Creation of user profiles on the basis of web analyses and CRM data
  • Production scheduling for seasonal goods on the basis of numerous factors

Big data and data protection

Data which is collected in the context of the use of part of big data applications may comprise, among other things, personal data or data relating to a user's location or habits. Any company which processes and stores personal data must comply with the requirements of data protection legislation, The subject matter addressed by this body of law is a complex one, which is in a constant state of flux. The requirements to be met in the context of the analysis of big data, for example, often only become apparent upon a consideration of various provisions of data protection legislation and their interpretation by data protection regulatory authorities at the national and even, in some cases, European level.

Furthermore, the law draws a distinction between the handling of purchase histories and surfing habits. It is often the case that extensive user profiles are generated which may reveal more information about a given user than that user actually intend to disclose. Experience shows us that the merging of different sets of stored data not only produces new and interesting insights into users, but is also problematic from a data protection perspective.

    Kasper Skou

    CEO, Semasio GmbH

    A privacy seal puts our customers' minds at ease, allowing us access to more data to improve targeting performance.

This is how ePrivacy provides assistance to companies in the context of big data applications:

  • Configuration of merging of offline and online data
  • Establishment of a data management platform (DMP) for use in digital marketing by means of online advertising, e-mail, newsletters and mobile advertising
  • Use of telematics systems in the connected car context
  • Design of eHealth applications in compliance with data protection legislation
  • Secure supplementation of online and offline data pools with CRM data in compliance with data protection legislation
  • Testing of location-based advertising using smartphone tracking
  • and so on.

ePrivacy will assist you in designing your products, technologies and services in line with the extremely stringent requirements imposed by applicable data protection legislation. We will help you and your employees to ensure the secure handling of big data applications. 

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