Digital Conversations @ British Library
Profiling & Privacy

25th May, 2012

In a quest to provide relevant and personalised experiences for users, institutions are having to navigate the fuzzy intersection between user profiling and privacy. As technology makes the collection and processing of personal data easier and more efficient, we look at the opportunities and risks this mining has for service provision.
A wide range of speakers will explore this issue from a variety of angles. How accurately can technology and algorithms today really capture the essence of a user and their needs? Is there room for serendipitous encounters in this new space, or the anonymous user? If compiling more personal data leads to better service will the idea of privacy be a thing of the past? Will there be a move towards more openness about our own data, turning the analytics on ourselves to better understand who we are?

• Graham MacFadyen, Director of Digital Marketing and Communications, British Library
• Dr. Joss Wright, Fresnel Research Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute & Guardian columnist
• Shane Green, President and CEO of Personal (Participating via Skype)
• Dr. Jeremy Leighton John, Curator of eMSS at the British Library
• Mel Woods, Principle Investigator, SerenA Project

Digital Conversations @British Library is a bi-monthly internal talk series hosted by the Digital Library and Curator Team. Inspirational and creative individuals and organisations are invited in to share short, thought-provoking presentations around a topic relating to the digital environment. It offers an invaluable opportunity for colleagues to engage in lively discourse about the future and gain new insights from other fields.