Digital data collection and surveillance gets more pervasive and invasive by the day; but the best ways to protect yourself and your data are all steps you can take yourself. The devices we use to get just-in-time coupons, directions when we’re lost, and maintain connections with loved ones no matter how far away they are, also invade our privacy in ways we might not even be aware of. Our devices send and collect data about us whenever we use them, but that data is not safeguarded the way we assume it would be. Privacy is complex and personal. Many of us do not know the full extent to which data is collected, stored, aggregated, and used. As recent revelations indicate, we are subject to a level of data collection and surveillance never before imaginable. While some of these methods may, in fact, protect us and provide us with information and services we deem to be helpful and desired, others can turn out to be insidious and over-arching. Privacy in the Age of Big Data highlights the many positive outcomes of digital surveillance and data collection while also outlining those forms of data collection to which we may not consent, and of which we are likely unaware. Payton and Claypoole skillfully introduce readers to the many ways we are ‘watched,’ and how to adjust our behaviors and activities to recapture our privacy. The authors suggest the tools, behavior changes, and political actions we can take to regain data and identity security. Anyone who uses digital devices will want to read this book for its clear and no-nonsense approach to the world of big data and what it means for all of us.

"Former White House Chief Information Officer Payton and lawyer Claypoole, authors of Protecting Your Internet Identity, team up again to produce this quick and easy overview of data collection and its relevance in our everyday lives. The authors guide readers through the many ways our personal information is collected and used in today’s society. They are quick to point out the beneficial aspects of technological advancements in commercial, private, and government settings. However, any collection of personal data is susceptible to malicious use. The authors go on to elaborate on the everyday possibilities of hacking, wiretapping, and other big data strategies by marketers and cybercriminals. Most alarming are the implications of data mining for everyday citizens: cybercriminals can and will steal any information, through government or commercial enterprises. Payton and Claypoole provide practical tips and tools for protecting personal data throughout making this a perfect beginner’s guide for anyone looking to stay informed." - Publishers Weekly

"[Data] tracking can always be used by nefarious individuals or groups, but it is part of the way we live now. It is as though highways were also fraught with piracy. That’s the kind of thing we’re dealing with. This is the discussion of the era, and this book is smack in the middle of it." - Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

"Payton and Claypoole intend this book as an overview of the threats facing private citizens in the era of cloud computing and big data. Discussions of privacy in this time take as their departure point the problematic nature of cloud-based computing and of the storage of massive amounts of personal data by businesses, governments, and devices connected to the cloud. The threats reviewed include those associated with mobile access and tracking individuals’ locations, Internet viewing, and the ubiquity of cameras as peripherals on devices. The final section details mitigating risks to individual privacy and reviews legislative efforts that could help. VERDICT Well-researched and well-written, this timely and important addition to the literature on privacy and big data will resonate with researchers of information policy and related legislation." - Library Journal

"I think people out there don’t realize there’s this whole underground economy out there, knives and daggers, people out there trying to get any piece of your data at any cost and at the end of the day we’re the ones who will pay the price. . . This is great advice." - The Willis Report, Fox Business

"Privacy in the Age of Big Data is a valuable source of information, no matter how much you know about cybersecurity; for those who are just starting to protect their data, however, you won’t want to let this book out of your sight." - datascience@berkeley Blog, Berkeley School of Information

"Privacy in the Age of Big Data is a timely publication and one that should find a wide readership in a digital and online landscape that is often only partially understood. As archivists, managing digital data and navigating the cyber world is increasingly important, and this is also true of our social lives. When at work there is a level of protection, or perhaps control, by our employers’ infrastructure: IT services manage and monitor our email and intranet, passwords must be regularly changed or account access will be suspended, security scanning is undertaken as a matter of course, and born-digital material, both published and unpublished, is treated with all the complex care and attention warranted by such vulnerable items. At home the picture might be somewhat different. Reading this book has compelled a change in this reviewer’s digital habits at home and at work, providing the impetus to take charge of my digital and online life. Further, it has opened up my understanding of the digital landscape, providing insights and prompting research into new areas that can only be of service in my role as an archivist. In a cyber world as complex as the one here described, a prompt to attend to the many connected issues both in and out of the archival world is a valuable outcome. This book serves to accentuate the problems and pitfalls of data management in a digital world, whether that data is found in our bodies, homes or in the archive. It provides a thoughtful and readable consideration of the complex interaction of the digital and physical spheres, highlighting the many dangers but always providing practical means to increase understanding, develop useful strategies, and mitigate potential risks." - Archives and Records: The Journal of the Archives and Records Association

"Privacy in the Age of Big Data: Recognizing Threats, Defending Your Rights, and Protecting Your Family provides a powerful reference focusing on privacy in the digital world, and is a fine pick for any who would consider the ramifications of how data is collected, stored and used. Current practices have created a level of data collection and surveillance never before used: while some of these methods are justified by protection and new services, others intrude on civil liberties. This book considers the pros and cons of new digital surveillance systems and analyzes the dangers of information tracking, offering readers insights into ways we are tracked, and how to change behaviors and activities to regain more privacy. It's an in-depth discussion that should be a part of any social issues or computer science library, offering much food for thought." - Midwest Book Review