ICT Professional Practice and Ethics: Cambridge Analytica Case Study

Running head: CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA CASE STUDY
ICT Professional Practice and Ethics: Cambridge Analytica Case Study
Name of the Student
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CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA CASE STUDY
Executive Summary
The major objective of this following report is learning about case of data scandal in
Cambridge Analytica. Such data scandals are being conducted with the involvement of ICT
or information and communication technology. The eradication of telephone network has
substantially given high financial benefits after implementing the convergence that can
eradicate high costs related to distribution of signals, cabling, user installation, maintenance
costs and servicing. In spite of the fact that ICT has the capability of providing some of the
most significant advantages ad features, there are few disadvantages and unethical factors
present well. Proper ethics should be maintained while using this technology. However,
ethics was violated in the case study of Cambridge Analytica. DET and ACS codes are used
for analysing ethical point of view.

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CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA CASE STUDY
Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Brief Background of the Provided Case Study......................................................................3
3. Analysis of Situation with DET Technique...........................................................................5
3.1 What is going on?.............................................................................................................5
3.2 What are the facts?...........................................................................................................5
3.3 What are the issues?.........................................................................................................6
3.4 Who is affected?...............................................................................................................7
3.5 What are the ethical issues and major implications?.......................................................8
3.6 What can be done about the ethical issues?.....................................................................8
3.7 What are the options?.......................................................................................................8
3.8 Which option is the best and why?..................................................................................9
4. Proper Analysis of the given Situation with ACS Codes of Ethics.......................................9
5. Conclusion and Suitable Recommendation for the Case Study...........................................11
References................................................................................................................................12

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CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA CASE STUDY
1. Introduction
Information and communication technology provides proper access to relevant
information by considering telecommunication networks (Vaishnavi and Kuechler 2015).
This is quite similar to the information technology, however majorly emphasizes on
communication technology on a primary basis. It even involves Internet connection,
communication medium and wireless networks (Keller and Heiko 2014). These types of
technologies are responsible for vast array of few new capabilities of communication. The
organizational members could easily communicate in real time with the help of technologies
like video conferencing, VoIP or voice over internet protocol and instant messaging (Andrade
and Doolin 2016). The social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter enable their users
from different parts of the world for remaining in contact and then communicate regularly.
However, although there are several advantages of ICT, few disadvantages are also
present in this particular technology. Data could be easily breached and various cyber crimes
are also possible with ICT (Roztocki and Weistroffer 2015). This report would be
demonstrating a real life example of such case scenario, in which a data science organization,
Cambridge Analytica was accused of extracting users’ data from their Facebook profile to
manipulate 2016 US elections illegally by one of their ex employees, Christopher Wylie.
Proper ethical analysis would be done on the basis of DET and six codes of ACS.
2. Brief Background of the Provided Case Study
Cambridge Analytica is one of the most popular and significant organizations in the
field of data science and technology. They have provided accurate data regarding presidential
campaign, which allowed numerous targeted political posts on Donald Trump (Cambridge
Analytica Scandal. 2019). The entire act was being conducted on the social networking site of
Facebook and it had the most significant purpose to influence overall people’s voting