Why civil rights groups are warning against ‘big data’

The backlash against the government's use of bulk phone records for intelligence purposes has been led mostly by technologists used to speaking the language of privacy. But a new push by civil rights organizations to challenge "big data" -- both in the public and private sectors -- is highlighting how the abuse of data can uniquely affect disadvantaged minorities. More than a dozen groups are backing a set of principles targeting the widespread use of data in law enforcement, hiring and commerce.

The list includes some of the country's biggest civil rights organizations, such as the NAACP and the National Council of La Raza. The signers feel big data is a threat to racial and religious minorities, vulnerable seniors and other groups who may be unfairly targeted due to the increasing collection of data that could allow for discrimination. The principles commit supporters to work toward ending "high-tech profiling," the addition of built-in protections in computerized decision-making systems, putting pressure on commercial entities for greater data disclosures and "protect[ing] people from inaccurate data," among other steps. The concern isn't just racial discrimination, civil rights advocates say, citing a Senate report on credit reporting agencies and third-party data vendors. The information collected by these businesses leads to the creation of demographic profiles, such as "Ethnic Second-City Strugglers" and "Zero Mobility," stereotypical categories that could be used to market predatory financial instruments -- or deny access to premium ones -- to underprivileged groups. While government and commercial surveillance potentially affect all Americans, minorities face those risks at disproportionate rates, according to the coalition's data principles.