The data mining balancing act

Abstract

Governments face new and serious risks when striving to protect their citizens. Among the various information technology tools discussed in the political and legal sphere, data mining applications for the analysis of personal information have probably generated the greatest interest. Data mining has captured the imagination as a tool which can potentially close the intelligence gap constantly deepening between governments and their targets. In the US, data mining initiatives are popping up everywhere. The reaction to the data mining of personal information by governmental entities came to life in a flurry of reports, discussions, and academic papers. The general notion in these sources is that of fear and even awe. Striving to understand what lies behind this strong visceral response is difficult and complex. An important methodological step must be part of every one of these inquires mentioned above—the adequate consideration of alternatives. This chapter is devoted to bringing this step to the attention of academics and policy makers.