Vodafone has backed calls from the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) for an open discussion on how to harness big data while maintaining the privacy of citizens.
In a public policy statement this week, the UK-based telco welcomed calls by the EDPS’s Giovanni Buttarelli to address how current privacy laws should be applied to big data in order to protect “the dignity and the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals in a more effective and innovative way.”
In a press release from Brussels, Buttarelli pointed out that while tracking user behaviour was “an essential revenue stream” for many of successful global companies, a more ethical approach was required for handling the data they collected.
Specifically, the EDPS said organisations needed to be accountable and transparent regarding the collection of consumer data, as well as providing consumers with the option to control their own data and opt-in and opt-out of data gathering in certain circumstances.
In Orange’s 2015 Future Digital Trust survey, 78 percent of 2,028 smartphone users surveyed said they believed service providers held too much of their personal information.
In a statement, Vodafone said: "The collection and analysis of data is fundamentally changing the way in which people interact, learn, work and do business. Big data presents economic and societal opportunities for Europe, but only if consumers and citizens can trust and have control over how their data is used and be confident that their privacy is respected.
“We welcome the EDPS's call for a new and open dialogue and look forward to contributing to this important discussion."