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Data mining is the process by which computers discover patterns in datasets in order to extract knowledge. In this context, it might be better to think of it in terms of analytics; it can be used to predict behaviours, make decisions and reach new understandings.
Privacy issues arise before the actual mining process takes place, as datasets are prepared – the threat to privacy arises as data are aggregated, potentially making identification of individuals possible. Even ‘anonymized’ datasets can be used to identify individuals.
Data Mining Applications
How much do you reveal when you browse the internet? As the video indicates, it might be more than you think. Data mining involves compiling your personal information into larger consumer categories and deriving patterns that can be used to encourage sales and increase profits for large corporations. This information could be used to send you more targeted advertisements for example, or might be used by companies to better understand consumer behavior. It might be used to charge you a different price depending on your disposable income and previous buying habits, through ‘personalized pricing’. Even more concerningly, your online interactions might reveal information about your finances, your health and your political views. If collected and sold, could this information impact your credit score, your ability to get healthcare coverage, or the success of your visa application? Could data collected from your social media be used to build the facial recognition databases used by law enforcement or immigration services?
Students in particular might be concerned about the tracking of their online behaviour through University course resources like Canvas. Students are often unaware that their instructors can view analytics about their use of these websites. Did you know that your professor had statistics about how many modules you actually opened and how long you spent reading the comments in the discussion group when grading your last online course?
Protecting Your Privacy
If you are concerned about these potential uses of your data, it is important to stay informed (and advocate for) legislation that protects your privacy and rights. For example, Canadian advocacy groups, researchers and lawmakers are engaged in ongoing discussions on how legislation can protect consumer rights, health information and political freedoms in the context of increasingly sophisticated data mining.
It is also important to know how your behaviour is being tracked. To discover what Google knows about you, check out this webpage. And while you’re there, consider if opt-outing from their personalized advertisements is right for you. To opt-out from Google Analytics tracking your data on external websites, you can download this add-on. Keep in mind that you are also revealing information about yourself and your interests through your use of social media and AI. Social media platforms track your public posts and ‘likes’, but they also analyze how long you look at ads and posts before scrolling, and your private messages with other uses. AI technologies allow companies to more comprehensively analyze not only the conversations that you have with AI chatbots (like ChatGPT), but potentially also your messages with your friends, your emails and your comments and behaviour on social media.
If you feel really uncomfortable with data mining, you can also use the anonymous browsing feature from within your Internet browser to conceal your identity. Your Internet Service Provider will still know the sites you visited, but this information will not be sold to advertisers.
Links
- BC Privacy Act
- Data Mining | CBC Player (2016)
- Data Mining | Huffington Post
- The Internet of Things is a hacker’s dream | UBC News (2016)
- Six ways (and counting) that big data mining systems are harming society | The Conversation (2017)
- How a data mining giant got me wrong | Reuters (2018)
- Students need protection from Google’s data mining | Boston Herald (2018)
- Mining Social Media Data for Policing, the Ethical way | Harvard University Kennedy School Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation (2018)
- The danger of using data to prevent crimes before the occur | Globe and Mail (2018)
- Maybe You Don’t Know Data-Mining Giant Palantir. But It Might Know You | WBUR (2018)
- Data Mining of Telecom Metadata is “More Dangerous than Intercepting Conversations” | News Monitors Blog (2018)
- 2017 Data Mining Report to Congress | Privacy Office, Department of Homeland Security (2018)
- The Internet of Things: A WIRED Guide | WIRED (2020)
Algorithmic Pricing and Competition | Government of Canada (2025) - How ICE Spies on American Citizens | Wired (2025)
Discuss
The Digital Tattoo Project encourages critical discussion on topics surrounding digital citizenship and online identity. There are no correct answers and every person will view these topics from a different perspective. Be sure to complete the previous sections before answering the questions.
- What do you think should be done to protect our privacy?
- Are you aware when data on your behaviour is being collected, or why and how it’ll be used?
- Do you know who has access to this information, or how secure it is?
What do you think? Tell us using the comment below.
Informed consent would be a great start. I also think a responsibility on institutions/organizations who are collecting and using data to ensure that the implications are explained in concise, easy to understand English. In comparison to hiding the real meanings in long legal documents which one might need a lot of time or a lawyer to fully comprehend.