TEHRAN - In today’s digital era, data has become the invisible fuel driving innovation. From the way doctors diagnose illnesses to how cities manage traffic and how apps recommend our next favorite song, data is at the core of progress. Yet with all of this potential comes a serious dilemma: how do we balance the power of innovation with the responsibility of protecting people’s privacy? 

The comparison is often made between data and oil. Just as oil transformed the industrial age, data is reshaping the digital one. But unlike oil, data is deeply personal. It represents who we are our habits, preferences, even our identities. And while companies and governments use data to create smarter systems, there is always a lingering question about how much of ourselves we are giving away in the process. 

Privacy regulations such as Europe’s GDPR were born out of these concerns, offering important protections against misuse. But some argue that focusing too heavily on restriction can actually slow down valuable progress. Imagine if every use of facial recognition technology were banned outright. That could limit not only the misuse of surveillance but also potential benefits, such as tools that help protect vulnerable individuals or assist people with disabilities. The ethical question, then, is not whether data should be used, but how it should be used responsibly.

Even when companies promise to keep information anonymous, risks remain. Researchers have shown that combining small pieces of data like someone’s ZIP code, gender, and date of birth can often reveal exactly who they are. This so-called “mosaic effect” means that even fragments of information, when pieced together, can compromise privacy. In a world where we leave digital footprints everywhere, this makes the challenge even more complex.

Some solutions lie in designing privacy protections into systems from the very start. The idea of “privacy by design” has been promoted for years, urging developers to build safeguards into the very architecture of new technologies. Yet critics argue that without stronger legal frameworks and accountability, such promises risk being more symbolic than effective. Other approaches, such as creating data trusts, show how societies might govern information more transparently. In Britain, for example, the National Health Service has experimented with broad consent systems and trusted institutions that allow medical data to be shared for research while still respecting patients’ rights.

Technology itself also offers a way forward. Methods like differential privacy or federated learning allow researchers to learn from large datasets without ever exposing the raw personal information behind them.

These innovations suggest that progress and privacy don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The real challenge is not technical possibility but social responsibility ensuring that companies, governments, and institutions act in the best interests of individuals and communities, not just profits or power.

Ultimately, the ethics of data is about trust. People are more willing to share information when they believe it will be used fairly, transparently, and for their benefit. If innovation is pursued without respect for that trust, the result is public skepticism, resistance, and even harm. But if handled carefully, data can continue to drive progress while protecting the dignity and rights of individuals.

Striking this balance will define our digital age. Innovation is essential, but so is privacy. To move forward, we must find a way to ensure that one never comes at the expense of the other.