Home topics technology Industry HR Tech Industry HR Why is data ethics important to data analysts? Guest Author May 8, 2019 With data management and analysis becoming such an integral part of a business’ success, it’s easy to solely focus on the exciting aspects of the vast data that can be attained. Despite the potential of data analytics as a field, it’s important that data scientists and analysts understand the ethical implications of using that information. Ethical use of the data is just as important as the data itself, and it’s integral for businesses to understand what data ethics is, and how it should be adhered to. What is data ethics? Data ethics is the complex moral and ethical issues related to data management, recording and sharing, along with data algorithms and related practices. And while businesses and data scientists are understandably interested in the potential of big data management, handling such large amounts of data brings into question the ethical pitfalls and the behaviour of its users. Why data ethics matters With highly publicised examples of data misuse , public trust in data management has been shaken. While there remains some confusion around regulations and legislation regarding privacy, businesses should have in place their own code of ethical data management, helping to keep their clients’ trust by their own means. The five key principles that data analysts need to consider: Privacy The primary ethical and moral question around the sharing of data is whether your practices respect a person