M-RCBG Associate Working Paper No. 103
The Root of the Matter: Data and Duty
Tom Wheeler
2018
Abstract
There are 39 million books in the Library of Congress. This impressive analog measurement pales in comparison, however, with the realities of the digital world. Every day connected computers can create the data equivalent of three million Libraries of Congress! This startling fact defines the economics of our time. Serving as the foundation for many beneficial outcomes, the aggregation of this torrent of data also menaces the public wellbeing with threats as diverse as election interference and non-competitive markets.