This record has been edited as far as possible, missing data will be added when the version of record is issued.
Private commercial companies sharing health-relevant consumer data with health researchers in sub-Saharan Africa: an ethical exploration
METADATA ONLY
Loading...
Author / Producer
Date
2024
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
Citations
Altmetric
METADATA ONLY
Data
Rights / License
Abstract
Sharing large digital-first datasets, including for purposes for which they were not originally intended, is a hallmark of the "big data revolution". Through their routine operations, private commercial companies collect massive amounts of diverse data from their customers, some of which may interest those working in the public sector, such as health researchers. Researchers and government agencies worldwide have been increasingly using data from commercial entities (such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook/Meta, Twitter/X and Amazon, among others) to generate health-related insights. This article explores ethical issues raised by the practice of commercial companies sharing consumer data with third parties for the purposes of promoting health in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. First, as an illustrative example, it examines some of the ways telecommunication (telecom) companies in SSA shared mobility data from cellphone users with public health researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, it examines a recent debate about the ethical responsibilities of companies that collect, process and share user-generated data, drawing implications for the SSA context. Finally, since this is a relatively understudied subject, we point out some areas where future conceptual and empirical work could contribute to the development of relevant ethics guidance and regulatory governance in SSA.
Permanent link
Publication status
published
External links
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Mobility data; ethics; health research; data sharing; sub-Saharan Africa; private companies