WVU experts Stephane Collignon and Brad Price can discuss the Cambridge Analytica security breach.
Social media users and their habits of sharing their personal information online are at the root of the recent Cambridge Analytica data mining scandal, according to a West Virginia University expert on management information systems. Once information has been freely shared, companies sell the information and others collect it, Stephane Collignon said.
Stephane E. Collignon
Assistant Professor, Management Information Systems
WVU College of Business and Economics
“At the origin of the latest Facebook scandal is us. We fail to fathom how much information we spread on the Internet through social media. Imagine five different media that gather what you think, what people constitute your circle of influence, what media you take your information from, etc. We are vulnerable to companies selling our information and other companies aggregating it. And if you think data is scattered and difficult to aggregate, think twice.
Stephane Collignon audio file (1:36)
Contact Information: 304.293.8911; Stephane.collignon@mail.wvu.edu
Brad Price
Assistant Professor, Management Information Systems
WVU College of Business and Economics
“Data that is collected on behavior at a personal level creates an advantage for companies who have it. Since just having the data can create this advantage, organizations may try to use data in ways that it was never originally intended. Sometimes this can be harmless, and in others, it can cause issues. The ability and methodology of organizations to obtain this information is a major obstacle to them using data analytics and data science. The way companies obtain, use, and share this information is becoming more and more relevant to the public and deserves a level of transparency.
Contact information: 304.293.2246; brad.price@mail.wvu.edu
West Virginia University experts can provide commentary, insights and opinions on various news topics. Search for an expert by name, title, area of expertise, or college/school/department in the Experts Database at WVU Today.
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