Dark Data and its impact on climate
Dark data refers to data that is collected, but not analyzed or used. This can include data from various sources such as business transactions, social media interactions, sensor data, and more. It can be in various forms such as structured, semi-structured, or unstructured data. It can also be in various formats such as text, images, audio, or video.
Dark data can be generated from a wide range of sources, including:
- Business transactions, such as customer interactions and purchase records
- Social media, such as posts, comments, and likes
- Sensor data, such as data from IoT devices
- Log files, such as web server logs
- Research data, such as data from scientific studies
This data is not analyzed or used, because it may be in an unstructured format, it may lack context, or it may be difficult to access and process.
This process of data collection has an impact on the environment. Similar to single-use plastic, the build-up of one-time data has a significant impact on the environment. The internet, operated by data centers, which are large server farms powered by multiple computers, consumes a significant amount of energy and this demand is only going to increase as more people and devices become connected.
The environmental impact of data collection is an important issue that requires attention, especially in light of the current climate crisis. While traditional climate activism primarily focuses on reducing the use of fossil fuels, particularly in the aviation and automobile industries, the energy consumption of the internet has received less attention. Although there is some understanding of the energy consumption of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology or the environmental impact of discarded electronics, the emissions caused by the internet and the vast amounts of dark data that contribute to it have received limited attention.
This is a concern as internet usage already generates emissions on par with those of the fossil fuel industry. As Charlotte Truman of ComputerWorld states, “only half of the world’s population is currently connected to the internet… the implementation of 5G technology, the increasing use of Internet of Things devices, and the growth of the cryptocurrency market will only exacerbate the problem.” A significant portion of this internet pollution comes from dark data.
The question that arises is how to address this issue. Firstly, there needs to be more aware of the environmental impact of different digital activities and encourage users to reduce them. A BBC report from 2020 suggests some ways to do this such as upgrading electronic devices less frequently, reducing subscriptions to emails and newsletters, and using SMS instead of internet messaging apps.
Tom Jackson and Ian Hodkinson, professors at Loughborough University in England who specialize in data management and information technology, suggest adopting digital decarbonization as a way to reduce one’s digital carbon footprint and decrease the creation of dark data. It involves being aware of and measuring one’s digital activities and encouraging companies to reuse existing digital data instead of creating new dark data with each user interaction. Users can also contribute by regularly deleting unnecessary data from cloud services.
