Big Data in China: Bigger Problems, Easier Solutions or Both?

Year 2019, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 101 - 120, 01.06.2019

Ulaş Başar Gezgin , Fatma Yıldırım

Abstract

Just like the case in any other power centers of the world, such as U.S., Europe and Russia, big data in China have information-wise polarized the researchers. On the one hand, some have been excited about the opportunities big data will bring to scientific research (e.g. new discoveries already made in medical research); on the other, some others are worried about increased level of privacy violations. Possibly because of the difficulties in self-expression within the political context of China, other more detailed objections to the use of big data by governments and corporations are rarely discussed with regard to China. While Chinese government implements the social credit system which is based on the big data of each citizen collected by any surveillance device –unethical ones included, so far this system has not been discussed extensively within academic circles. However, such a system can be a model for other countries and become a global nightmare rather than a Chinese one only. This social credit system is closely related with the notion of Internet of Things which appears to be benign at first blush, but has the potential for misuse and abuse in the hands of authoritarian governments and greedy corporations. The lines between public and private will be blurred by the advent of Internet of Things which will make any electronic device capable of transferring data to the Big Brother.

In this article, big data discussions, both pros and cons are presented and other themes that are understudied in China are also listed.  

Keywords

Big data, Big data in China, Big brother, Surveillance, Data distortion, Data manipulation

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