This looks like a fascinating talk from the Humphrey Institute (happening noon, September 12) and/or I may be showing my academic roots…

A lot can be learned from how we use the internet. Our viewing patterns offer insights into our health – depression, eating disorders, bullying and more – and our democracy. Social scientists are pioneering new collaborations with Facebook to get access to its data in order to reveal powerful patterns in our thoughts and behaviors. As efforts progress toward developing partnerships under the banner “Social Science One,” questions have been raised about safeguards for privacy, ethical conduct, and independence from corporate interests.
Harvard Professor Gary King – a preeminent quantitative researcher and leader of Social Science One – will make the case for the extraordinary power of unleashing Facebook’s data for independent social science research. He will be joined by University of Minnesota Law School Professor William McGeveran, who studies data privacy.
This event is part of the Mondale Dialogues. This event series promotes the decency and fairness that have guided the public life of Walter F. Mondale and the principles he has long fought for: strengthened lawmaker accountability, expanded opportunity and justice, and deepened international connections.