The recent mini-controversy surrounding LinkedIn’s “social ads” initiative should serve as a reminder to Big Data practitioners out there: Just because big data makes something possible doesn’t mean you should do it.

But users also need to come to grips with the world we live in today: There’s no such thing as total privacy and that’s not a bad thing.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, here’s the rundown via WSJ:

In late June, LinkedIn began testing a new form of advertising it called “social ads” that shared users’ public actions, like recommendations or following companies, in a commercial format. The ads would show a user the photo of another user in their network of personal connections and indicate that they had recommended a product or company …

It took users and bloggers who watch the company a few weeks to take notice, and complaints began surfacing. On Thursday afternoon, the company retreated, informing members that their photos would no longer accompany ads. Instead, ads will state the number of a user’s connections who either follow or recommended the product or company.

The social ads upset users who felt their privacy was violated and that their personal information was being used without their permission for the commercial benefit of LinkedIn.

To LinkedIn users, of which I am one, I say: get over it.

Do these disgruntled LinkedIn users – or like-minded Facebook or Twitter users for that matter – think LinkedIn is a non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to serve the public good? LinkedIn is a public company with a duty to pursue profits to the benefit of its shareholders. Also keep in mind LinkedIn did nothing illegal here. It clearly spells out in its user terms-of-service and privacy policy that it has the right to use content uploaded to the site contingent on optional privacy controls.

Having said that, LinkedIn did make an error in judgment here, one that all consumer-facing enterprises are at risk of making in the Era of Big Data.

The reality is that the average person doesn’t understand that each time he or she uploads content to a social network or other web service, it is fair game to be used in any number of ways. And technologies like Hadoop have now made it possible for enterprises to process and analyze that data to create new services.

So when companies like LinkedIn utilize user-generated content in a way that their members perceive as an invasion of privacy, whether the action is illegal or not, there’s going to be a backlash and subsequent PR problem.

Enterprises liked LinkedIn need to carefully consider how they manipulate user-generated content to avoid this problem in the first place. Just because Hadoop (and I’m assuming LinkedIn used Hadoop in this instance, just as it uses Hadoop to support many of its other services) makes a new service or product possible doesn’t mean it should be pursued.

But in defense of LinkedIn, I think there is a trade-off we as a society have to make: sacrifice some level of personal privacy in order to enjoy the benefits and innovation offered by companies like LinkedIn. If you don’t want to make that trade-off, then don’t join social networks, perform most online transactions or, while you’re at it, don’t even leave the house.

I’m joking … sort of. The reality is big data allows enterprises to create better, more customized products and services, which are increasingly part of and improving our daily lives. I just don’t see a realistic way a person can opt-out. It’s just how our society operates today.

For better or worse, the social web has made obsolete the concept of the unlisted number. If I want to find out your phone number, birthday, alma mater, spouse’s name, job history or even your favorite food, 9 times out of ten I can do so online with enough digging.

Most of our personal data is out in the public domain anyway, so I say let’s enjoy the innovations and new products companies like LinkedIn are developing with it and stop complaining.

Services Angle

Social data is the special sauce that makes a social network dynamic. With it, the possibilities are endless for the community and the individual seeking to get the most of what it offers.