Ethical Issues in Big Data Analytics: A Stakeholder Perspective

Big data analytics is a fast-evolving phenomenon shaped by interactions among individuals, organizations, and society. However, its ethical implications for these stakeholders remain empirically underexplored and not well understood. We present empirical findings from a Delphi study that identified, defined, and examined the key concepts that underlie ethical issues in big data analytics. We then analyze those concepts using stakeholder theory and discourse ethics and suggest ways to balance interactions between individuals, organizations, and society in order to promote the ethical use of big data analytics. Our findings inform practitioners and policymakers concerned with ethically using big data analytics and provide a basis for future research.