Data Collection - Research Paper Example

Running Head: Information handling at ChoicePoint. Information Handling at ChoicePoint. This paper aims to discuss the process of data collection at ChoicePoint. It puts light on the productive side as well as the detrimental side of this data collection; how the data provided by ChoicePoint can facilitate the running of many government and private organizations, how can it combat frauds and how can it help to cease criminal actions but in addition to that how can the same data trigger identity theft and can threaten the privacy of general public.

This paper also argues on the fact that whether the use of personal data collection in business is appropriate and ethical or not.Information Handling at ChoicePoint:What are the major benefits of ChoicePoints data collection?ChoicePoint’s functions are essential not only for government organizations but also for private consumers. The data collected and provided by ChoicePoint facilitates the fluent running of different organizations in following ways; easy and quick access to personal information benefits both the parties involved in a venture.

In addition to that provision of jobs becomes more accurate when different organizations have appropriate data with them. The data provided by ChoicePoint allows the credit card and insurance companies to avoid thefts and frauds and to decrease the cost. This data is also beneficent for security and law agencies because through ChoicePoint they can have an access to the data which they cannot access by themselves due to legal restrictions.What are some of the possible harms of ChoicePoints data collection?

The major disadvantage of this data aggregation is identity theft as easy access to personal information enables the hackers to use someone’s identity in criminal actions and as a result the victims of identity theft have to tolerate bitter consequences. In addition to that most of the people think of this data collection as interference in their privacy and thus this act is considered as indecent and unethical. Moreover, there is no proof of the fact that the information provided by ChoicePoint is accurate and sometimes it can be misleading as well.

To conclude, there is a very narrow difference between invasions in privacy and the act that is performed to get the information required for the fluent running of different organizations. Personal data collection provides the business with valuable information that plays an important role in acquiring its goals. In today’s era of technology it is essential that one should have complete information about the parties involved in a venture before indulging in it, in order to avoid thefts and frauds.

Sometimes, what is considered as an invasion in privacy by certain people is something that is necessary for the fluent running of government, profit and nonprofit organizations. Reference(s)http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/cs199r/bd-aggregation/rmurty_etal.pdf