Privacy, Reputation, and Identity in a Digital Age Teach-Out

Reputation has long been prized. In its traditional form, people who know something about you use this knowledge to form opinions. Their collective sense of who you are—your reputation—affects how people treat you: it shapes all of your social interactions.

In today's world, additional knowledge about you resides in "big data" collected by individuals, organizations, companies, and governments. Increasingly, data about you are being processed by algorithms to draw conclusions: to form something like opinions.

This combination of data and algorithms creates a new digital reputation which increasingly shapes your life, from recommending purchases and suggesting friends to prompting actions based solely on your digital footprint.

Who gathers, owns, and controls this data? Where do they get it, and how? How do they use it? Is it shared with people, processed by algorithms, used to construct your choices? What should we think about all of this?

In this Teach-Out we will consider questions of privacy, reputation, and identity using a case study approach. Learners will hear from experts and engage in conversation using real-world scenarios across multiple topic areas.

This Teach-Out will answer:
- Who gathers, owns, and controls the data that forms your digital reputation?
- What sources provide this data, and through what means is it collected?
- How is the data utilized by individuals, organizations, companies, and governments?
- In what ways do algorithms process this data to form conclusions or opinions?
- How does your digital reputation influence various aspects of your life, such as purchasing decisions, social interactions, and actions prompted by your online presence?
- What are the implications of this digital reputation ecosystem for privacy, identity, and reputation management?
- What ethical considerations arise from the use of big data and algorithms in shaping digital reputations?
- What measures can be taken to promote transparency, accountability, and fairness in the management of digital reputations?
- How can understanding these dynamics empower individuals to make informed choices and advocate for responsible data practices in society?