This paper discusses the Cambridge Analytica scandal and applies ethical theories to analyze the issue. It also provides recommendations to prevent such crimes in the future.
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SOCIAL MEDIA1 Data Collection: “Harvesting” Personalities Online Introduction Technology changes the things and provides the ability to communicate with people. Online communication is more effective than using the telephones or post offices for the communication due to its speed (Lee, Bagheri, & Jin, 2016). People can communicate easily with the help of social sites; instant messenger getting more popular in the present days. Social media is providing the platform to the people to talk with friends and families that are far away from them. It also provides the platform to the businesses and big organisation to exchange their ideas and information with millions of people (Ruths, & Pfeffer, 2014). The companies use the social media for advertisement or to attract the consumers towards their brands and services. Social media reached the entire business segment which increases the issues due to emerging the computers and technology. There are many ethical issues raise from the technology when it used in large amount. The companies start operating the business on social media, which increase the issues like in the case of Cambridge Analytica, the company used the personal data of Facebook users (Raicu, 2018). Facebook leaked the personal data of the users. In this paper, the discussion will be made on the Cambridge Analytica scandal. In this report, the Cambridge Analytica case study is discussed by applying the ethical theories. Ethical theories Virtue perspective Virtue theory defines the character which performs the right action to bring the happiness in the society. According to this theory, an organisation has a duty to bring the
SOCIAL MEDIA2 happinessinthesocietybyperformingtherightactions.Therightdefinesthatan organisation has a responsibility to helps the economy by providing them with the facility which is beneficial for the society (Ferrero, & Sison, 2014). But in this case, the Cambridge Analytica cheated the society by using their personal data for the elections. Facebook broke the trust of the people by using the personal data. This step did not state the ideal behaviour of the company towards the society. It can be said that the company fail to perform its duty and responsibilities. Cambridge Analytica scam, disturb the personal life of the people. According to this theory, Cambridge Analytica plays the negative role for the society instead of bringing the happiness it spread fear in the heart of society. Deontology Perspective Deontology theory refers to the action whether it is right or wrong under the rules and regulation or under some consequences. The theory states that an organisation has to perform the good things which are beneficial for the society. An online organisation has to provide the facilities to the users from which they can entertain or they can expand their business as well on social sites (Paquette, Sommerfeldt, & Kent, 2015). But in this case, Cambridge Analytica made the application for the entertainment of the people but it uses the personal profiles of the users to predict the voter’s preferences. It states that it performs the good actions for the political parties not for the society. According to this theory, Cambridge Analytica played with the mind and emotions of the users which is not right under any consequence. It shows that the Cambridge Analytica only use the society for its benefit which is not ethical. It raises the privacy and security issues. Contract Perspective Contract theory refers an agreement which is made by the people who live together in the society. According to this agreement, it is a responsibility of the society and an
SOCIAL MEDIA3 organisation to gives benefit to each other. Society helps the organisation by providing them the assets and profit thus; an organisation also has the responsibility to gives the benefit to the society (Broad, 2014). An online organisation has the responsibility to provide the online communication facility to the society so they can easily communicate with each other. Despite of giving the benefits to society; the company cheated the society by using their personal data. According to this theory, it can be said that the company cannot fulfil its agreement and fails to perform its responsibility. Utilitarianism Perspective Utilitarianism theory refers to actions which produce the happiness and provide the greatest benefit to the people. An organisation has the responsibility to provide the facilities to the society to entertain them and for which they can share their ideas and views. Although, Facebookprovidedthesefacilitiesitleakedthepersonalinformationoftheusersto Cambridge Analytica which discourage the users instead of happiness (Mill, 2016). The company use the data to help the Donald Trump in the elections. People got affected by the services of the Facebook. According to this theory, Cambridge Analytica fails to fulfil in bring the happiness in the society or it can be said that only Donald Trump and Cambridge Analytica got the utility but society faced the problems. Facebook provides the facility by made the application of the psychology test in which people log in to the application by editing their personal data and Cambridge use this data for Donald Trump or other political parties. From this data, Cambridge analyses the voter’s preference. It states that the company used the emotions of the society which is not legal for the company. Recommendations From the above analysis, it has been recommended that the government should take the step to stop this crime. The government should make the new rules and regulation which
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SOCIAL MEDIA4 can stop these crimes at the initial stage like the government can attract the companies by providingthemincentivesonadoptingthestrongnetworksystem(Tøndel,Meland, Omerovic, Gjære, & Solhaug, 2015). It can also sign the legal agreement with the companies at the time of establishment. The government should punish the companies by charging the high amount of penalties for cyber-crimes or frauds. It should also provide the education to the people from which they can aware and secure the data. It can be said that it is also the responsibility of the society to take care of itself. People have to install the security system application their smartphones so they can easily detect the hacking software’s and protect their data from hackers. Companies have to organise the seminars for spreading the awareness. They can give advice to the people that ‘how they can secure their data’ or ‘which application help the people to secure the data’. The companies can hire the security system from which they can easily detect the hacking software or stop the crime at the initial stage. It is the responsibility of the companies to keep their data secure and safe because users have blind trust in these online applications. The companies have to maintain this trust of society. So, it is compulsory to secure the personal data of users. The company can hire the experts which can easily detect the hackers and stop the hackers at the initial stage. It can also protect the data from the hackers (Trevino, & Nelson, 2016). Conclusion From the above discussion, it has been concluded that Cambridge Analytica scam disturbed the personal lives of the people. There are many issues raised with the emergence of technology such as privacy, security, cybercrime and others. In this case, people are getting afraid instead of getting happy. Cambridge Analytica scam raised the challenges for the society which can be defined in the ethical theories. According to these ethical theories,
SOCIAL MEDIA5 the company did not behave ideally. It failed to maintain its moral and core values, and also did not perform its responsibilities and duties towards the society. Utilitarianism, deontology, contract, and virtue are the ethical theories refer to the responsibility of the company but after the analysis, it can be said that the company cannot perform their duties. Despite of giving more facilities to the people; the company cheated the people by using their personal data. By using the security system, the company secure the data from the third party and the government should also spread the awareness by educating the people. People can also take care of its data by installing the intrusion on their smartphones through which people would get the notification at the time of hacking. These methods secure the data and reduce the issues of cyber technology.
SOCIAL MEDIA6 References Broad, C. D. (2014).Five types of ethical theory. Oxon: Routledge. Ferrero, I., & Sison, A. J. G. (2014). A quantitative analysis of authors, schools and themes in virtue ethicsarticlesin business ethicsand managementjournals(1980–2011). Business Ethics: A European Review, 23(4), 375-400. Lee, J., Bagheri, B., & Jin, C. (2016). Introduction to cyber manufacturing.Manufacturing Letters,8, 11-15. Mill, J. S. (2016).Utilitarianism. In Seven 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/ Reyns, B. W. (2017). Routine Activity Theory and Cybercrime: A Theoretical Appraisal and Literature Review. InTechnocrime and Criminological Theory. Oxon: Routledge, 35- 54. Ruths, D., & Pfeffer, J. (2014). Social media for large studies of behaviour.Science, 346(6213), 1063-1064. Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2016). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right. US: John Wiley & Sons.
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