4/13/2017 - Stockholm, Sweden: Big data is allowing companies to create the more personalized experiences that consumers demand, but the need to balance this with a commitment to privacy raises many questions about our digital future.

The realization of a more connected world brings many benefits: quicker access to essential information, more efficient use of time, customized and tailored experiences that target and suit our individual needs, and a whole host of seemingly endless opportunities.

While companies tap into the increasing availability of big data to enhance consumer experiences, many questions on personal privacy have arisen. At the heart of this is finding the right balance between what a company knows about your personal preferences, and what you want them to know.

As part of the Futurecast series, a program of roundtable talks hosted by AT&T Foundry and Ericsson, Professor Andreas Weigend, former Chief Scientist at Amazon, spoke about the future of data and privacy.

“I would like to see incentive alignment [between companies and consumers]. I would love a world with more transparency where bad behavior gets called out. I think it would be a better world with more transparency, so we can see if our interests are aligned with that of the company,” says Weigend.

For consumers this is about placing trust in the companies we interact with to implement end-to-end solutions for managing and protecting data in a hyper-connected society – and that the data is being used in a way that respects our privacy.

You can watch the full discussion from Ericsson in Santa Clara, California by clicking the image below.