Who Controls Your Data? The World of Big Data
Every click, online purchase or movement with your phone generates data about you. These massive amounts of information give rise to what we know as Big Data.
Companies, digital platforms, governments —or even seemingly harmless apps— can collect, store and process information that reveals who we are: from our consumption habits to our beliefs, preferences or movements.
But who does really controls our data? Is it us, the users, or the corporations that manage it?
Why Your Data Matters
Big Data —the collection, storage and analysis of large volumes of structured or unstructured data— allows companies and institutions to optimise services, predict behaviour, segment audiences and personalise content.
This means that even without realising it, we constantly generate data: with every search, purchase, form or app we use. And this information can be as simple as your favourite products… or as sensitive as your location, opinions or browsing history.
Without transparency, this massive collection can become a “gold mine” for those who control the data.
Legal Framework: What Rights Do You Have?
In the European Union, the key regulatory pillar is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in force since 2018, supported in Spain by the LOPDGDD.
Thanks to these laws, you —as the data subject— have essential rights:
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Right to be informed
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Right of access
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Right to rectification
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Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”)
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Right to restrict processing
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Right to data portability
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Right to object
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Right not to be subject to automated decisions
In theory, these laws give individuals control over their data. But in practice…
The Real Imbalance: Companies vs. Users
Despite legal protections, the balance is often tilted toward those who process the data:
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Big tech platforms have enormous infrastructures to exploit it.
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Digital consent is often uninformed.
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Exercising rights can be complex.
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The digital ecosystem is so vast that tracking data usage is difficult.
The result: although you have rights, they often stay on paper.
What You Can Do
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Review privacy policies.
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Exercise your rights.
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Limit cookies, permissions and settings.
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Demand transparency and accountability.
Being connected doesn’t mean giving up your privacy. The data we generate paints a highly revealing picture of who we are —and deserves conscious and active control.
Education and Training: Key to Understanding and Managing Data
Education is essential to understanding how the Big Data ecosystem works and what controlling personal data really means. As technological complexity grows, so does the need for professionals capable of analysing information responsibly.
This is why specialised master’s degrees in Big Data or Data Science have become a key pathway into the sector. These programmes train students in data architecture, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance such as the GDPR.
BIG DATA AT | LA SALLE-URL