--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The fear isn't that big data…" description: "\"The fear isn't that big data discriminates. We already know that it does. It's that you don't know if you've been discriminated against.\" — Kate Crawford" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/kate-crawford-15804_against_the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminat_2567506.jpg" --- # The fear isn't that big data discriminates. We already… ![“The fear isn't that big data discriminates. We already know that it does. It's that you don't know if you've been discriminated against.” quote by Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/kate-crawford-15804_against_the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminat_2567506.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/kate-crawford-15804_against_the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminat_2567506.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/kate-crawford-15804_against_the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminat_2567506.jpg) > “The fear isn't that big data discriminates. We already know that it does. It's that you don't know if you've been discriminated against.” [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Big data already discriminates; the problem is hidden bias that people cannot detect, making it hard to challenge. **In simple terms:** Discrimination by data is invisible and unchecked. Key Takeaway Demand transparency and audits of algorithms. Themes privacy bias technology ethics Mood concerned critical Type ethical analytical When to use this quote - Hiring decisions - credit scoring - law enforcement - social media platforms Key Concepts Algorithmic fairness data governance Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms can reveal hidden algorithmic bias? - How can individuals verify they aren't being discriminated against? A Different Perspective Companies may resist revealing proprietary data, limiting oversight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Against](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against/) [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Data](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data/) [Data Discriminates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data-discriminates-1660490/) [Discriminated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discriminated/) [Discriminates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discriminates-1660492/) [Discriminates Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discriminates-know-1660491/) [Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/does/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-isn-556774/) ## Related quotes > [About the only thing we have left that actually discriminates in favor of the plain people is the stork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/about-the-only-thing-we-have-left-that-actually-discriminates-in/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [Like a pet fish unaware of the fishbowl it lives in, each of us inherently discriminates against young people without knowing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-fletcher/like-a-pet-fish-unaware-of-the-fishbowl-it-lives-in-each-of-us/) [Adam Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-fletcher/) > [“Blacks have the most to gain from Stand Your Ground laws, and there is no evidence that the laws are applied in any way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-lott-jr/blacks-have-the-most-to-gain-from-stand-your-ground-laws-and-there-is/) [John R. Lott Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-lott-jr/) > [What it comes down to is that modern society discriminates against the right hemisphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-wolcott-sperry/what-it-comes-down-to-is-that-modern-society-discriminates-against/) [Roger Wolcott Sperry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-wolcott-sperry/) > [The proliferation of bans fuels stereotypes and discriminates against a community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/najat-vallaud-belkacem/the-proliferation-of-bans-fuels-stereotypes-and-discriminates-against/) [Najat Vallaud-Belkacem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/najat-vallaud-belkacem/) > [But we are not going to stand by and go back to allowing people with preexisting conditions to be discriminated against, go back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-axelrod/but-we-are-not-going-to-stand-by-and-go-back-to-allowing-people-with/) [David Axelrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-axelrod/) > [I have to be honest: I don't get many, if any - I don't know that I've ever received a phone call in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-cramer/i-have-to-be-honest-i-don-t-get-many-if-any-i-don-t-know-that-i-ve/) [Kevin Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-cramer/) > [I always identified myself as non-Swedish. I was never discriminated against, because I looked Swedish and speak without an accent. But I had an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-always-identified-myself-as-non-swedish-i-was-never-discriminated/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [“The problem with fear, though, is that it isn’t any one thing. Fear has a whole taxonomy—anxiety, dread, panic, foreboding—and you could be braced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-junger/the-problem-with-fear-though-is-that-it-isn-t-any-one-thing-fear-has/) [Sebastian Junger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-junger/) > [We can’t save ourselves from fear by seeking safety, because safety always means there’s something to be safe from-in other words, something to fear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/we-can-t-save-ourselves-from-fear-by-seeking-safety-because-safety/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Public fear isn't something to be played with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/public-fear-isn-t-something-to-be-played-with/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [“We need to find our courage, which, of course, is not the absence of fear but rather the willingness to feel the fear and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/panache-desai/we-need-to-find-our-courage-which-of-course-is-not-the-absence-of/) [Panache Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/panache-desai/) > [“Fear isn’t rational. That’s what makes it fear, not common sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/fear-isn-t-rational-that-s-what-makes-it-fear-not-common-sense/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear isn't in my vocabulary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-happel/fear-isn-t-in-my-vocabulary/) [Ernst Happel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-happel/) > [“What I really fear is time. That's the devil: whipping us on when we'd rather loll, so the present sprints by, impossible to grasp,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-rachman/what-i-really-fear-is-time-that-s-the-devil-whipping-us-on-when-we-d/) [Tom Rachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-rachman/) ## More by Kate Crawford > [Self-tracking using a wearable device can be fascinating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/self-tracking-using-a-wearable-device-can-be-fascinating/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [We need to be vigilant about how we design and train these machine-learning systems, or we will see ingrained forms of bias built into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-need-to-be-vigilant-about-how-we-design-and-train-these-machine/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Big data sets are never complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/big-data-sets-are-never-complete/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [While many big-data providers do their best to de-identify individuals from human-subject data sets, the risk of re-identification is very real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/while-many-big-data-providers-do-their-best-to-de-identify/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [People think 'big data' avoids the problem of discrimination because you are dealing with big data sets, but, in fact, big data is being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/people-think-big-data-avoids-the-problem-of-discrimination-because/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [There's been the emergence of a philosophy that big data is all you need. We would suggest that, actually, numbers don't speak for themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/there-s-been-the-emergence-of-a-philosophy-that-big-data-is-all-you/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Data and data sets are not objective; they are creations of human design. We give numbers their voice, draw inferences from them, and define…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/data-and-data-sets-are-not-objective-they-are-creations-of-human/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [We urgently need more due process with the algorithmic systems influencing our lives. If you are given a score that jeopardizes your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-urgently-need-more-due-process-with-the-algorithmic-systems/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination are being built into the machine-learning algorithms that underlie the technology behind many 'intelligent' systems that shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/sexism-racism-and-other-forms-of-discrimination-are-being-built-into/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Books about technology start-ups have a pattern. First, there's the grand vision of the founders, then the heroic journey of producing new worlds from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/books-about-technology-start-ups-have-a-pattern-first-there-s-the/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [The amount of money and industrial energy that has been put into accelerating AI code has meant that there hasn't been as much energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/the-amount-of-money-and-industrial-energy-that-has-been-put-into/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [Like all technologies before it, artificial intelligence will reflect the values of its creators. So inclusivity matters - from who designs it to who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/like-all-technologies-before-it-artificial-intelligence-will-reflect/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [If you're not thinking about the way systemic bias can be propagated through the criminal justice system or predictive policing, then it's very likely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/if-you-re-not-thinking-about-the-way-systemic-bias-can-be-propagated/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [We should have equivalent due-process protections for algorithmic decisions as for human decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/we-should-have-equivalent-due-process-protections-for-algorithmic/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) > [There is no quick technical fix for a social problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/there-is-no-quick-technical-fix-for-a-social-problem/) [Kate Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) [Explore all 42 Kate Crawford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/) ## More Against quotes > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/) [Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [We do not know which irresponsible Israeli prime minister will take office and decide to use nuclear weapons in the struggle against neighboring Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordechai-vanunu/we-do-not-know-which-irresponsible-israeli-prime-minister-will-take/) [Mordechai Vanunu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordechai-vanunu/) > [In France they spend six months training policemen, then they give them a gun and put them on the streets, and I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathieu-kassovitz/in-france-they-spend-six-months-training-policemen-then-they-give/) [Mathieu Kassovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathieu-kassovitz/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [My problems are sort of more on a nuisance level. I can't stand scratchy clothes, I've got to have soft kinds of cotton against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/my-problems-are-sort-of-more-on-a-nuisance-level-i-can-t-stand/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [I don't have any regrets or hold any grudge against anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cooper-kupp/i-don-t-have-any-regrets-or-hold-any-grudge-against-anyone/) [Cooper Kupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cooper-kupp/) > [Ronaldo will always score against everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giorgio-chiellini/ronaldo-will-always-score-against-everyone/) [Giorgio Chiellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giorgio-chiellini/) > [Well, just that there would be somebody in the office and the voters - it was more or less an understanding in the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/well-just-that-there-would-be-somebody-in-the-office-and-the-voters/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) [Joe Pitts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-pitts/) > [It goes way, way back when we were under Sweden's rule. We always think they are better than us. We played against them so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saku-koivu/it-goes-way-way-back-when-we-were-under-sweden-s-rule-we-always-think/) [Saku Koivu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saku-koivu/) > [I'm against unanswerable concentrations of power, whether that be government or private industry or religious figures - anybody who is not accountable to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-suarez/i-m-against-unanswerable-concentrations-of-power-whether-that-be/) [Daniel Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-suarez/) > [I'm an Indian and I shall not do anything that goes against my ethos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/i-m-an-indian-and-i-shall-not-do-anything-that-goes-against-my-ethos/) [Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/) [Browse all 2,190 Against quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/against/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The fear isn't that big data discriminates. We already know that it does. It's that you don't know if you've been discriminated against.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kate Crawford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminates-we-already-know-that-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Against" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminates-we-already-know-that-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/kate-crawford-15804_against_the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminat_2567506.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/kate-crawford-15804_against_the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminat_2567506.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f44/kate-crawford-15804_against_the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminat_2567506.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The fear isn't that big data discriminates. We already know that it does. It's that you don't know if you've…” — Kate Crawford", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kate Crawford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-crawford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The fear isn't that big data...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminates-we-already-know-that-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-crawford/the-fear-isn-t-that-big-data-discriminates-we-already-know-that-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```