A new problem related to the use of technology has worried environmentalists: dark data. You may not yet be familiar with the term, but it is certainly part of the problem, as it concerns data that is stored in cell phones and computers. So, keep reading to better understand what it is about.
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Dark data – What is it and why is it a problem?
A considerable part of the data we use on our electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets and computers, is only used once. However, they continue to consume energy due to their storage. In summary, this is the problem of dark data, or “dark data”, as the term can be translated.
Different types of dark data
There are different types of dark data depending on the industry. It is basically unstructured, unexplored, and untagged information that flows between different devices. So it includes log files, web pages, images, numbers and even company documents and emails.
What are the impacts of dark data?
Well, as we mentioned earlier, this stored data uses a lot of electrical energy for it to remain on the servers. In this sense, it should be noted that the energy spent on them in 2020 was related to 4% of the total greenhouse gas emissions studied in the world, such as methane and carbon dioxide, for example.
Another worrying aspect of dark data is data security. If a company does not have a well-prepared data inventory or is not aware of the content of its storage, you will be at risk of suffering audits, fines or damage to the brand if malicious people use your data.
digital decarbonization
An alternative that has been discussed by scientists to reduce the impact of dark data is the digital decarbonization, that is, the reduction of the emission of harmful gases to the environment through the own digital data.
The topic has been addressed on a large scale, that is, involving large companies and companies, but people can reduce dark data individually, deleting photographs, videos, emails, among other data that you no longer need and are just consuming your storage and expending a lot of energy.