5/6/2014 FACT SHEET: Big Data and Privacy Working Group Review | The White House

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/01/fact-sheet-big-data-and-privacy-working-group-review 1/2
Get Email Updates Contact Us
HomeBriefingRoomStatements&Releases Search WhiteHouse.gov
ForImmediateRelease May01,2014
TheWhiteHouse
OfficeofthePressSecretary
FACTSHEET:BigDataandPrivacyWorkingGroupReview
Drivenbythedecliningcostofdatacollection,storage,andprocessingfueledbynewonlineandrealworld
sourcesofdata,includingsensors,cameras,andgeospatialtechnologiesandanalyzedusingasuiteofcreative
andpowerfulnewmethods,bigdataisfundamentallyreshapinghowAmericansandpeoplearoundtheworld
live,work,andcommunicate.Itisenablingimportantdiscoveriesandinnovationsinpublicsafety,healthcare,
medicine,education,energyuse,agriculture,andahostofotherareas.Butbigdatatechnologiesalsoraise
challengingquestionsabouthowbesttoprotectprivacyandothervaluesinaworldwheredatacollectionwillbe
increasinglyubiquitous,multidimensional,andpermanent.
InJanuary,PresidentObamaaskedhisCounselorJohnPodestatoleada90dayreviewofbigdataandprivacy.
Thereviewwasconceivedasfundamentallyascopingexercise,designedtodefineforthePresidentwhatisnew
aboutthetechnologiesthatdefinethebigdatalandscapeuncoverwhereandhowbigdataaffectspublicpolicy
andthelawsandnormsgoverningprivacytoaskhowandwhetherbigdatacreatesnewchallengesforthe
principlesanimatingtheConsumerPrivacyBillofRightsembracedbytheAdministrationin2012andtolayout
anagendaforhowgovernmentcanmaximizethebenefitsandminimizetherisksofbigdata.
TheworkinggroupwhichincludedCommerceSecretaryPritzker,EnergySecretaryMoniz,thePresident's
ScienceAdvisorJohnHoldren,thePresident'sEconomicAdvisorJeffZients,andotherSeniorAdministration
Officialssoughtpublicinputandworkedover90dayswithacademicresearchersandprivacyadvocates,
regulatorsandthetechnologyindustry,advertisersandcivilrightsgroups,theinternationalcommunityandthe
Americanpublic.ThisreviewwassupportedbyaparalleleffortbythePresident'sCouncilofAdvisorsonScience
andTechnology(PCAST)toresearchthetechnologicaltrendsunderpinningbigdata.
Today,PodestaandthebigdataworkinggrouppresentedtheirfindingsandrecommendationstothePresident.
Thereviewdidnotsetouttoanswereveryquestionaboutbigdata,norwasitintendedtodevelopa
comprehensivepolicyapproachtobigdata.However,byevaluatingtheopportunitiesandchallengespresented
bybigdata,theworkinggroupwasabletodrawimportantconclusionsandmakeconcreterecommendationsto
thePresidentforAdministrationattentionandpolicydevelopment.
SEIZINGOPPORTUNITIES
Weliveinaworldofnearubiquitousdatacollectionwherethatdataisbeingcrunchedataspeedincreasingly
approachingrealtime.Thisrevolutionpresentsincredibleopportunities:
Bigdataissavinglives.Infectionsaredangerousevendeadlyformanybabiesbornprematurely.By
collectingandanalyzingmillionsofdatapointsfromaneonatalintensivecareunit,onestudywasableto
identifyfactors,likeslightchangesinbodytemperatureandheartrate,thatserveasearlywarningsignsan
infectionmaybetakingrootsubtlechangesthateventhemostexperienceddoctorsmaynothavehave
noticedontheirown.
Bigdataismakingtheeconomyworkbetter.Jetenginesanddeliverytrucksnowcomeoutfittedwith
sensorsthatcontinuouslymonitorhundredsofdatapointsandsendautomaticalertswhenmaintenanceis
needed.Utilitycompaniesarestartingtousebigdatatopredictperiodsofpeakelectricdemand,adjusting
thegridtobemoreefficientandpotentiallyavertingbrownouts.
Bigdataissavingtaxpayerdollars.TheCentersforMedicareandMedicaidServiceshavebegunusing
predictiveanalyticsabigdatatechniquetoflaglikelyinstancesofreimbursementfraudbeforeclaims
arepaid.TheFraudPreventionSystemhelpsidentifythehighestriskhealthcareprovidersforwaste,
fraud,andabuseinrealtimeandhasalreadystopped,prevented,oridentified$115millioninfraudulent
payments.
Bigdataalsopresentspowerfulopportunitiesinareasasdiverseasmedicalresearch,agriculture,energy
efficiency,globaldevelopment,education,environmentalmonitoring,andmodelingclimatechangeimpacts,
amongothers.
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Google+
YouTube
Vimeo
iTunes
LinkedIn
LATEST BLOG POSTS
May06,20146:29PMEDT
For Cinco de Mayo, President Obama
Focuses on Investing in "100,000 Strong in
the Americas"
PresidentObamajoinsUnderSecretaryofState
RichardStengel,AssistantSecretaryRoberta
Jacobson,AssistantSecretaryEvanRyan,foreign
governmentofficials,businessleaders,and
academicstodiscusshowwecanworktogether
toadvance"100,000StrongintheAmericas,"an
initiativefocusedonexpandingeducational
opportunityandexchangetobuildconnections
betweenthepeopleoftheAmericas,andtomake
ourregionmorecompetitive.
May06,20145:18PMEDT
State and Local Officials Join the President
in Year of Action to Raise the Minimum
Wage
IntheyearsincethePresidentfirstcalledon
Congresstoraisethefederalminimumwage,10
statesandtheDistrictofColumbiahavepassed
lawstoincreasetheminimumwage.Without
waitingonCongresstoact,Connecticut,
Maryland,andHawaiiareliftingtheirminimum
wagesto$10.10anhour,andotherstatesand
localitiesareconsideringsimilarlegislation.
May06,20143:03PMEDT
White House Office Hours: National
Climate Assessment
VIEWALLRELATEDBLOGPOSTS

5/6/2014 FACT SHEET: Big Data and Privacy Working Group Review | The White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/05/01/fact-sheet-big-data-and-privacy-working-group-review 2/2
PRESERVINGOURVALUES
Theopportunitiespresentedbybigdataareconsiderable,butbigdataraisesseriousconcernsabouthowwe
protectourprivacyandothervalues.Forexample:
Bigdatatoolscanalterthebalanceofpowerbetweengovernmentandcitizen.Governmentagencies
canreapenormousbenefitsfromusingbigdatatoimproveservicedeliveryordetectpaymentfraud.But
governmentusesofbigdataalsohavethepotentialtochilltheexerciseoffreespeechorfreeassociation.
Asmoredataiscollected,analyzed,andstoredonbothpublicandprivatesystems,wemustbevigilantin
ensuringthatbalanceismaintainedbetweengovernmentandcitizens,andreviseourlawsaccordingly.
Bigdatatoolscanrevealintimatepersonaldetails.Onepowerfulbigdatatechniqueinvolvesmerging
multipledatasets,drawnfromdisparatesources,torevealcomplexpatterns.Butthispractice,sometimes
knownasdatafusion,canalsoleadtothesocalledmosaiceffect,wherebypersonallyidentifiable
informationcanbediscernedevenfromostensiblyanonymizeddata.Asbigdatabecomesevenmore
widelyusedintheprivatesectortobringawellspringofinnovationsandproductivity,wemustensurethat
effectiveconsumerprivacyprotectionsareinplacetoprotectindividuals.
Bigdatatoolscouldleadtodiscriminatoryoutcomes.Asmoredecisionsaboutourcommercialand
personallivesaredeterminedbyalgorithmsandautomatedprocesses,wemustpaycarefulattentionthat
bigdatadoesnotsystematicallydisadvantagecertaingroups,whetherinadvertentlyorintentionally.We
mustpreventnewmodesofdiscriminationthatsomeusesofbigdatamayenable,particularlywithregard
tolongstandingcivilrightsprotectionsinhousing,employment,andcredit.
POLICYRECOMMENDATIONS
Nomatterhowquicklytechnologyadvances,itremainswithinourpowertoensurethatwebothencourage
innovationandprotectourvaluesthroughlaw,policy,andthepracticesweencourageinthepublicandprivate
sector.Tothatend,theworkinggroupmadesixactionablepolicyrecommendationsintheirreporttothe
President:
AdvancetheConsumerPrivacyBillofRightsbecauseconsumersdeserveclear,understandable,
reasonablestandardsforhowtheirpersonalinformationisusedinthebigdataera.
PassNationalDataBreachLegislationthatprovidesforasinglenationaldatabreachstandard,alongthe
linesoftheAdministration's2011Cybersecuritylegislativeproposal.
ExtendPrivacyProtectionstononU.S.Personsbecauseprivacyisaworldwidevaluethatshouldbe
reflectedinhowthefederalgovernmenthandlespersonallyidentifiableinformationfromnonU.S.citizens.
EnsureDataCollectedonStudentsinSchoolisusedforEducationalPurposestodrivebetterlearning
outcomeswhileprotectingstudentsagainsttheirdatabeingsharedorusedinappropriately.
ExpandTechnicalExpertisetoStopDiscriminationbecausethefederalgovernmentshouldbuildthe
technicalexpertisetobeabletoidentifypracticesandoutcomesfacilitatedbybigdataanalyticsthathavea
discriminatoryimpactonprotectedclasses.
AmendtheElectronicCommunicationsPrivacyActtoensurethestandardofprotectionforonline,
digitalcontentisconsistentwiththataffordedinthephysicalworldincludingbyremovingarchaic
distinctionsbetweenemailleftunreadoroveracertainage.
Enespaol Accessibility CopyrightInformation PrivacyPolicy Contact
USA.gov Developers ApplyforaJob