The acceptance of advanced analytics has been growing throughout society, becoming commonplace – and perhaps even expected – in many day-to-day interactions. But companies would do well to remember that people still need to be assured that their privacy and the data itself are being managed in a smart and organized way. As with most new technologies, regulation and governance tends to follow on the heels of innovation. That is, as we’re able to do more sophisticated and interesting things with data and analytics, there will be a chorus of concern as people push back and demand control over these types of technologies. Of course, not everyone will have the same reaction. Many online shoppers might welcome having a retailer suggest products based on their past purchases, while others may find those recommendations to be invasive.

More than a century ago, as people were beginning to move from horse-driven carriages to automobiles...