Cambridge Analytica: Data Collection and Ethical Issues in Cyber Technology
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This paper discusses the ethical issues related to cyber technology by analyzing the Cambridge Analytica case study using utilitarianism, deontology, contract, and virtue theories. It also provides recommendations to secure personal data and reduce cybercrime.
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Cambridge Analytica Data Collection: “Harvesting” Personalities Online
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CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA1 The continuous use of communication technology in the modern world is an opportunity for an individual, institution and business organisation but it also raises some difficult ethical and legal problems. Internet reached into all business segments which increased the issues due to emerging computers, telecommunication and other media. It can be said that there are many benefits of new technologies such as industry development, e- learning system and many more. But in the developing world, an individual faces many challenges due to new technology of communication. Such as in the case of Cambridge Analytica, users of Facebook faced the problem of data theft. Facebook leaked its user’s personal data to Cambridge Analytica; the company used this data to predict the voting preference of the people (Xu, Liu, Xiong, Wang, & Zuo, 2017). This case raised many problems for the users. This paper focuses on the ethical issues related to the cyber technology. In this paper a case study is taken into consideration to analyse the ethical issues of cyber technology by implementing the ethical theories. These ethics theories mainly include utilitarianism, deontology, contract, and virtue. To solve these issues; the recommendation is also provided at the end of paper. Utilitarianism theory is an action that produces the hapiness and the greatest benefit to the people (Mill, 2016). In the case of Cambridge Analytica, Cambridge and Donald Trump get the benefit from the action of the company. The firm used the personal data for the prediction of election; it helped Donald Trump to win the election of the president (Raicu, 2018). Despite of being happy, people are getting disappointed with the services of Facebook because Cambridge cheated the society by used their personal data which affected the people. It can be said that Cambridge and the political parties got the utility but the society faced the challenges. From the analysis, it has been recommended that the organisation has to secure the data of its people. To gain the advantage of technology, it is necessary to spread the
CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA2 awareness and educate the people to secure their personal data. The online organisations can hire the security experts or the people can install the intrusion detection application which helps them to detect the hacking software (Mill, 2016). Deontology theory defines the action whether it is right or wrong under the rules. According to this theory, an organisation has the responsibility to do the right action for the society so the people can live free (Dörr, & Hollnbuchner, 2017). But in the case of Cambridge Analytica, it is observed that the company used personal data for impacting the election of America. It is a wrong action which is done by the company towards the society. The action of the company for the political parties is right because it was established with the aim of providing the good advice to the political parties. Direct action of Cambridge Analytica disturbs people’s personal lives and the economy. It can be suggested that to construct the strong cyber system it is necessary to adopt the new technologies to detect the crimes at the initial stages. As per the case, Facebook has to keep their data secure by adopting the new technologies from which only the users can see their profile. The organisations must ensure that the actions taken by them or legal and are not wrong (Paquette, Sommerfeldt, & Kent, 2015). Contract theory defines an oral agreement which is made by the people who live together in the society (Jayawickreme, Meindl, Helzer, Furr, & Fleeson, 2014). People have certain responsibilities to follow the agreement. Society is an important stakeholder for an organisation; it can be said that an organisation has many responsibilities towards the society. As per the case, Cambridge also has the responsibilities towards the society to keep their data safe and secure but it cheated the society by using their personal data to predict the voting preference of people. From this scam, people got affected and disappointed with the company. Despite performing the responsibilities towards the society the company cheated its people which do not fulfil the requirement of the theory. It can be said that the company
CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA3 failed to perform its responsibilities towards the society. It is observed that an organisation has to perform its duty well for the society but Cambridge failed in its responsibilities. To reduce the frauds the government should provide incentive to the company to invest in the security items. Thus it encourages the companies to invest in the security and keep their data secure. It can also be suggested that the companies cannot allow the third party to analyse their data for any purpose. The government should make regulations in which the companies should sign a legal agreement at the time of registration. This legal agreement should be made to assist the society (Amartya, 2017). Virtue theory defines the role of a character in order to do good things for the society. According to the theory, an organisation has an important role to bring the utility in the society by performing its responsibility towards the society (Hooft, 2014). An online organisation has a responsibility to help the people to exchange their ideas with the audience or to entertain them by offering them new applications. But in this case, instead of offering the new channel of communication Cambridge Analytica used their personal data to analyse the factors which affect the elections. It broke the trust of the people towards the online communication. It can be said that the organisation brought the utility for the political parties or for itself because people were disappointed with the behaviour of the organisation. In this case, it did not show the ideal character of the company towards the society but according to the theory; it is the duty of an organisation to behave and perform its action like an ideal character towards the society. Thus, it can be said that the company failed to maintain its moral and core values towards the society (Chakrabarty, & Bass, 2015). From the analysis, it has been recommended that the government should offer the job for protecting the networks and personal information and make new rules and regulations. To build the strong network connection; it is necessary to improve the education and aware the organisation for their
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CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA4 behaviour towards the society. The government should penalise and punish the wrong behaviour of an organisation to stop it (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). From the above discussion, it has been concluded that the Cyber technology has many benefits until it will not be used in a wrong way. There are many ethical issues which can be raised from the cyber technology. By considering the Cambridge Analytica case, the company failed to perform its duties and responsibilities which are defined well in the ethical theories. The case shows that the privacy, security, and cybercrime are the issues which are raised by increase in the cyber technology. To reduce these issues, the government should take the actions towards it’s; such as the government can provide the incentive to the companies to invest in the security system. Strong security system will help the companies to stop these issues at the initial stage which will further reduce these ethical issues. To improve the system; it is necessary to improve the education and spreading the awareness in the society for the security. People should also be aware of their data security in the age of cyber technology. Thus, it can be said that it is important to reduce these issues because it creates major problems in the society. By implementing the legal rules and regulation, the security system will construct strong impression and the chances of crime will decrease.
CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA5 References Amartya, S. E. N. (2017). What do we want from a theory of justice?. InTheories of Justice. Oxon: Routledge, 27-50. Chakrabarty, S., & Bass, A. E. (2015). Comparing virtue, consequentialist, and deontological ethics-based corporate social responsibility: Mitigating microfinance risk in institutional voids.Journal of Business Ethics,126(3), 487-512. Dörr, K. N., & Hollnbuchner, K. (2017). Ethical challenges of algorithmic journalism.Digital Journalism, 5(4), 404-419. Jayawickreme, E., Meindl, P., Helzer, E. G., Furr, R. M., & Fleeson, W. (2014). Virtuous states and virtuous traits: How the empirical evidence regarding the existence of broad traits saves virtue ethics from the situationist critique.School Field, 12(3), 283-308. Mill, J. S. (2016). Utilitarianism. InSeven Masterpieces of Philosophy. Oxon: Routledge, 337-383. Paquette, M., Sommerfeldt, E. J., & Kent, M. L. (2015). Do the ends justify the means? Dialogue, development communication, and deontological ethics.Public Relations Review,41(1), 30-39. Raicu, I. (2018).Data Collection: “Harvesting” Personalities Online.Retrieved from: https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/internet-ethics/resources/data-collection- harvesting-personalities-online/ Shapiro, J. P., & Stefkovich, J. A. (2016).Ethical leadership and decision making in education: Applying theoretical perspectives to complex dilemmas. Oxon: Routledge. Hooft, S. V. (2014).Understanding virtue ethics. Oxon: Routledge.
CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA6 Xu, J., Liu, A., Xiong, N., Wang, T., & Zuo, Z. (2017). Integrated collaborative filtering recommendation in social cyber-physical systems. International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks, 13(12).