<![CDATA[Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way?]]>Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way?

Like taking all of the attendance data from a school and using it to predict real estate prices?

(Which happened.)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/0e0e7b7c-c9ca-48d2-8c5c-b0efda8dc663/is-there-a-word-for-when-a-dataset-is-created-possibly-not-even-intentionally-but-then-some-other-group-of-people-swoop-in-and-analyze-and-apply-that-data-in-a-new-unexpected-strange-possibly-evil-wayRSS for NodeSun, 11 Oct 2026 14:55:44 GMTTue, 06 Oct 2026 10:29:54 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:15:57 GMT]]>@futurebird Abuse.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://helvede.net/users/jwcph/statuses/117393913127450054https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://helvede.net/users/jwcph/statuses/117393913127450054Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:15:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:07:47 GMT]]>@viq @futurebird @holsta when its using data collected for one purpose for another its a consent violation, people who answered honestly did so for a specific purpose, no one agreed to have their data used for any other purpose, especially not for private benefit. This is also true of the surveillance capitalism industry, adtech, credit reporting, etc.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/raven667/statuses/117393881004317034https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/raven667/statuses/117393881004317034Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:07:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:05:29 GMT]]>@futurebird parasite comes to mind

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fd00.space/users/nCrazed/statuses/117393871936229903https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fd00.space/users/nCrazed/statuses/117393871936229903Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:05:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:58:13 GMT]]>@futurebird
Privacy controls / violation / intrusion, scope creep, adversarial correlation ?
@holsta

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.hackerspace.pl/users/viq/statuses/117393843404980818https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.hackerspace.pl/users/viq/statuses/117393843404980818Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:58:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:45:38 GMT]]>@futurebird
Repurposing data is nothing new.

Babylonian priests logged the sky to read omens, and Greek astronomers later used those records to build real astronomy. Kepler used Tycho's Mars data to overturn Tycho's own model.

But also the Nazis use Dutch civil registries, which recorded religion for routine administration, to find Jews.

I think it's a sort of function creep, but that's not really a word for what you're onto.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.plus/users/swope/statuses/117393793879394742https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.plus/users/swope/statuses/117393793879394742Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:45:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:41:54 GMT]]>@futurebird @holsta schadatenfreude? 😬 (Sorry, not a serious proposition but couldn't resist!)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/jpetazzo/statuses/117393779247390504https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/jpetazzo/statuses/117393779247390504Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:41:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:37:10 GMT]]>@futurebird The book predates LLMs, but Weapons of Math Destruction is still relevant for some of these cases (like the example in your first post).

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://scholar.social/users/SylviaFysica/statuses/117393760635844051https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://scholar.social/users/SylviaFysica/statuses/117393760635844051Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:37:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:31:32 GMT]]>@futurebird

This is why all the clowns who say aGGruhgaTed data Iz fIn3 are relentlessly full of shit.

The best name for people who do this are thieves and liars.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freeradical.zone/users/funnymonkey/statuses/117393738474591676https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://freeradical.zone/users/funnymonkey/statuses/117393738474591676Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:31:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:22:54 GMT]]>@futurebird

I teach a module on how to be a data parasite in our grad quantitative biology class. Here we’re also teach multivariant analysis tools like principles component analysis and hierarchical clustering.

There’s actually an award for best data parasite given annually with a 1k reward.

https://researchparasite.com/

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/MCDuncanLab/statuses/117393704519640584https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/MCDuncanLab/statuses/117393704519640584Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:22:54 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:19:49 GMT]]>@futurebird In my opinion we need to think of big data differently - same way as we think of observations/measurements of the real world: unless you have a hypothesis first, you are only doing the equivalent of sorting pebbles on the beach according to colour. Maybe you find that all the large pebbles tend to be green, but without a hypothesis, this is a useless correlation.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.online/users/jakobtougaard/statuses/117393692371276678https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.online/users/jakobtougaard/statuses/117393692371276678Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:19:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:18:21 GMT]]>@futurebird

In the biosciences, someone coined the term data parasite.

The person was really upset at US requirements to make all data acquired with federal money publicly available.

Here the idea is that biologists collect massive datasets but the original team may only care/be able to follow up on one type of analysis. The person who coined data parasite thought it was unfair that another group could just swoop in and make discoveries with that now unused dataset.

I and others disagree.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/MCDuncanLab/statuses/117393686611827968https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/MCDuncanLab/statuses/117393686611827968Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:18:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:23 GMT]]>This whole idea that data sets can be repurposed, combined and used in ways that were never a part of the systems that created them without consequences is at the heart of the proposed magical prediction abilities of LLMs.

And sometimes it's neat and exciting when you find something in data you didn't expect. But there are other artifacts based on the original purpose of the data sets, you know?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/117393615989363191https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/117393615989363191Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:00:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:56:34 GMT]]>@holsta

I was just spitballing an idea for a critical way to talk about this overly joyful enthusiasm for "big data"

It's all very nice, but just because there is a data set that doesn't mean you can pretend it was collected to help you answer an unrelated question.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/117393600963593183https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/117393600963593183Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:56:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:51:14 GMT]]>@futurebird another example is the pentagon pizza theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_pizza_theory

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.v.st/users/th/statuses/117393579979086772https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://social.v.st/users/th/statuses/117393579979086772Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:51:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:51:05 GMT]]>@futurebird That's basically what Actuaries do, so actuarial analysis or something like that.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ersatzmaus/statuses/117393579388153772https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/ersatzmaus/statuses/117393579388153772Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:51:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:49:36 GMT]]>@futurebird I haven't ever come across that term. Who is the audience for your text?

In my field, I guess "covert channel" could also apply. You ask a constructed question to get the answer to another question.

Sorry I don't have any good obvious answers.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.art/users/holsta/statuses/117393573575825817https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.art/users/holsta/statuses/117393573575825817Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:49:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:45:38 GMT]]>@holsta

how about "malicious regression" ?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/117393557965086452https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://sauropods.win/users/futurebird/statuses/117393557965086452Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:45:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:39:37 GMT]]>@futurebird

Scope creep?

The scope of the original project didn't change, though.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tldr.nettime.org/users/katzenberger/statuses/117393534306740085https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://tldr.nettime.org/users/katzenberger/statuses/117393534306740085Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:39:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:37:47 GMT]]>@futurebird business intelligence

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://rstats.me/users/mdsumner/statuses/117393527127029020https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://rstats.me/users/mdsumner/statuses/117393527127029020Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:37:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:35:47 GMT]]>@futurebird Unintended secondary use? (Edit: Or malicious secondary use?)

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.art/users/holsta/statuses/117393519240383034https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.art/users/holsta/statuses/117393519240383034Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:35:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Is there a word for when a dataset is created, possibly not even intentionally but then some other group of people swoop in and analyze and apply that data in a new unexpected, strange possibly evil way? on Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:30:44 GMT]]>@futurebird
Piracy?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.ca/ap/users/116561546645482920/statuses/117393499379511581https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.ca/ap/users/116561546645482920/statuses/117393499379511581Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:30:44 GMT