Social Control, Transparency, and Participation in the Big Data World

The Big Data paradigm underlines the fundamental role of control over information, in terms of com- petitive advantages in the business world and in terms of an increased possibility of social control by states and groups of power. Control over the information deriving from Big Data is not accessible to everyone, as it is based on the availability of large datasets, expensive technologies, and specific human skills to develop sophisticated sys- tems of analysis and interpretation. For these reasons, big business and governments are in the best position to take advantage of Big Data. In order to increase access to information and to boost the participatory and transformative potential of information it is necessary to increase the number of people able to create and manage large amounts of data. From a legal perspective, specific regulations can contribute to achieving this goal. A mandatory notification of the creation of large databases to independent authorities, rights to access to information and open data policies are different ways to increase the transparency of the information society and data sharing. They reduce the level of control over information and limit the advantage of Big Data owners in terms of technical and cultural analysis skills.