The Science and Technology Committee said it will assess whether the government is doing enough to help UK entrepreneurs make the most of the increasing availability of data and power of analytics software. It said it would also consider the issue of data protection and privacy.
"Growth in computing power continues at a remarkable pace, bringing enormous economic and social opportunities as new public and private services are developed using ‘big data’ sets," Nicola Blackwood MP, chair of the Committee, said. "But there are also growing public concerns about the collection, use and sale of personal data. Many people enjoy the benefits of big data, like quicker, more personalised digital services, but are often concerned about the way their data is used to deliver this."
"This inquiry will be weighing up how we can open up opportunities in big data for entrepreneurs, while ensuring that consumers feel their private data is protected. Questions remain about how companies obtain consent for the use of personal data and whether the governance of our new information economy is keeping pace with the technology," she said.
The Committee said businesses and other stakeholders can submit written comments for consideration as part of its inquiry until 3 September 2015. Among the issues it is seeking feedback on is on the perceived skills gap that could prevent big data opportunities being realised and risks being protected against. It is also seeking views on how organisations can obtain people's informed consent to the processing of their personal data.
Last year the Science and Technology Committee published a report into the responsible use of data which called on the government to provide guidelines to help organisations collect only the personal data they need. It said that many service providers currently require service users to provide personal information without properly explaining why they need that information.
The Committee also identified the length and complexity of consumer contracts as a barrier to online service providers obtaining users' informed consent to the collection of their personal data. It questioned whether users of online services "understand the access rights of third parties to their personal data" as a result of the long and jargon-filled contracts that the service providers are reliant upon.