https://tech.newstatesman.com/guest-opinion/ethics-data-driven-decision-making > Despite the ubiquitous rise of computer-based technologies, public attitudes towards them are in a state of flux, hemmed in by a growing feeling of discomfort towards the current world order. > Central to this concern has been the exponential growth in the gathering and use of personal data. The actors that have benefited most from this have tended to be non-state, including tech giants such as Google and Apple. The bodies being challenged most by the rise of big data have tended to be state actors, especially liberal democracies. They find themselves constrained by legal necessities on one side, and public opinion and mistrust on the other.