Facebook Data Breach: An Applied Ethics Perspective

This report discusses the recent ICT case study of Facebook data breach, in respect to the three distinct perspectives of applied ethics. Relevant details will be provided here.

Running head: FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
Facebook Data Breach
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

1
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Case Study..............................................................................................................................2
Professional Ethics Perspectives............................................................................................2
Philosophical Ethics Perspectives..........................................................................................4
Sociological/ Descriptive Ethics Perspectives.......................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

2
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
Introduction
Ethics can be defined as the significant branch of philosophy, which specifically
includes systematizing, defending and finally recommending the various concepts of correct
as well as incorrect conduct (Lacan, 2013). Three basic areas of ethics are Meta ethics, he
normative ethics and finally applied ethics. Meta ethics deals with the theoretical meaning as
well as references of the moral proposition and how the truth value could be easily and
promptly determined. The second area is normative ethics that deals with the practical means
to determine the moralised course of actions. The third area is applied ethics that deals what a
person is obligated or permitted to do in a specific domain of action or situation (Noddings,
2013). The following report outlines a brief discussion on the recent ICT case study of
Facebook data breach, in respect to the three distinct perspectives of applied ethics. Relevant
details will be provided here.
Discussion
Case Study
In April 2018, the data of around 87 million users of Facebook were at stake. The data
scandal of Facebook involved the total collection of the personal identifiable information of
those affected users (Badshah, 2018). Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm, was
responsible for improperly accessing the users’ data of Facebook by a third party quizzing
application and has utilized these data for building several psychological profiles for targeting
voters with the political advertisements. A whistleblower made this news public and hence
the scandal was noticed by Facebook.

3
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
Professional Ethics Perspectives
Professional ethics perspective is the first and the foremost perspective of applied
ethics (Frank, 2013). Professional ethics majorly encompasses the corporate as well as the
personal standards of behaviours that are eventually expected by the professionals. The
professionals and those people, who are allegedly working in the acknowledged professions
mainly, exercise specialized skill and knowledge. The proper utilization of this knowledge is
solely governed when any particular service is being provided to the public for the purpose of
considering a moral issue and hence is termed as the professional ethics perspective (Fromm,
2013). This type of ethics perspective has the capabilities of taking several decisions, making
judgments, reaching to the informed decisions within situations and applying the skills.
The most important and significant components of professional ethics perspective are
honesty, integrity, transparency, confidentiality, accountability, loyalty, respect, obedience to
law and objectivity (Peters, 2015). These specific components help any particular person in
identifying the ethical approaches. Proper implementation of the professional ethics
perspective is highly required for any specific case study. These types of ethical components
are responsible for preventing all kinds of exploitation of the client and also in preserving the
professional integrities (Crane & Matten, 2016). This not only checks the benefit of the
client, but also helps in the benefit of all those, who are significantly belonging to that
particular profession.
The case study of Facebook data breach states that around 87 million users’ data were
hacked by the data mining firm, called Cambridge Analytica for the purpose of their own
political advertisements (Niebuhr, 2013). This particular organization acquired the data of the
Facebook users improperly. This phenomenon allowed these professionals of Cambridge
Analytica to act with the conscience in practicing with their knowledge that they would not
be undermining commercially. Facebook was responsible for saving the data of the users,

4
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
since it is the most popular and utilized social networking site in the world (Nussbaum,
2013). However, this did not occur and Facebook was unsuccessful in saving the data of its
users. Therefore, as per professional ethics perspective of applied ethics, this particular ICT
case study is absolutely unethical and unprofessional.
Philosophical Ethics Perspectives
The second perspective of applied ethics is philosophical ethics. This philosophical
ethics majorly deals with the correct or incorrect, good or bad for human conduct (Durkheim,
2013). This philosophical ethics are the projects that attempt to use proper reasoning for
answering several kinds of ethical questions. The moral principles of any specific group,
individual and tradition are checked with the help of philosophical ethics. This type of ethics
eventually fluctuates from the legal, personal, cultural as well as the religious approaches to
ethics by simply seeking to conduct the entire study of ethics and principles by the secular
and rational outlook (Sorokin, 2017). The outlook is grounded by the happiness of human
beings or even the well being of the human beings.
The major benefit of the philosophical approach to ethics is that this specific approach
majorly avoids the proper demanding basis of the religion as well as law and even the
subjectivity, illogicality and unpredictability for characterizing the cultural as well as the
personal moral view (Tavani, 2015). There are two distinct and relevant traditions in the
modernized philosophical ethics that are related to the fact that how to resolve the ethical
characters of action. The first tradition states that the actions do not comprise of the intrinsic
ethical characters but also acquires the moral status from consequences, which are flowing.
The next tradition however states that the actions are intrinsically right and wrong.
The case study of Facebook data breach specifically mentions about the breaching of
data of their 87 million users throughout the world (Lacan, 2013). The moral virtue as well as

5
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
the human actions within this case study was shaken, when Cambridge Analytica accessed
the data of the Facebook users. Hence, as per philosophical ethics, the entire case study of
Facebook data breach is unethical and non philosophical in nature.
Sociological/ Descriptive Ethics Perspectives
The third and the final perspective of applied ethics is sociological or descriptive
ethics perspective (Frank, 2013). Descriptive ethics can be defined as the study of various
people’s beliefs or disbeliefs regarding morality. This type of ethics majorly contrast with the
significant ethics of perspective or normative ethics that is the study of few ethical theories,
prescribing the people ought to act. Social responsibility is the part of ethical theory, where
the individuals are eventually accountable to fulfil all the civic duties (Crane & Matten,
2016). The various actions of the specific individual should be advantageous to the society
and hence there exists a proper balance within the welfare of society as well as economic
growths. When this equilibrium is subsequently maintained, the social responsibility can be
easily and promptly accomplished. The theory of sociological ethics perspective is
completely built on the system of ethics, where every action and decision should be ethically
validated even before proceeding when the decision or action is causing harm to the society
(Peters, 2015). This is considered to be socially irresponsible.
The moral values, which are inherent within society for creating the distinction within
correct and incorrect, are checked with the social fairness (Frank, 2013). Each and every
individual has the core responsibility for acting in such a manner that is advantageous to the
society and not only to that particular individual. This type of sociological ethics is
incorporated to daily decisions, actions for having an effect on the environment and person.
The regular interactions with the rest of the society are required for the successful application
of sociological ethics (Niebuhr, 2013). The significant maintenance of the social
responsibility within any specific organization helps to ensure the confidentiality as well as

6
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
integrity of the environment and society is done safely and securely. The respective ethical
implications of any particular action or decision are notified for obtaining the benefits.
The case study of Facebook data breach defines about the sociological or descriptive
ethics perspective. Facebook was responsible for not doing its duty properly and saving the
data of its users (Tavani, 2015). Hence, it was a failure in fulfilling the social responsibilities
and thus a failure in sociological ethics. Therefore, as per the sociological ethics, this
particular case study is unethical in nature.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that applied ethics is the
significant branch of ethics that is majorly concerned with the detailed analysis of the
specified moral issues within the private or public life. Three major theories are followed in
this applied ethics. They are utilitarianism theory, deontology theory and virtue ethics. These
three theories are collectively termed as the modern approach in applied ethics. The ethics is
the concerned matter of value, comprising the philosophy branch of axiology. Ethics majorly
seeks to solve the several questions that are basically related to human morality by simply
defining the fewer concepts like good or evil, justice or crime, right or wrong and finally vice
and virtue. The above report has clearly mentioned about the most recent and popular case
study related to information and communication technology or ICT, known as Facebook data
breach.

7
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
References
Badshah, N. (2018). Facebook to contact 87 million users affected by data breach. Retrieved
from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/apr/08/facebook-to-contact-the-
87-million-users-affected-by-data-breach
Crane, A., & Matten, D. (2016). Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and
sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.
Durkheim, E. (2013). Professional ethics and civic morals. Routledge.
Frank, A. W. (2013). The wounded storyteller: Body, illness, and ethics. University of
Chicago Press.
Fromm, E. (2013). Man for himself: An inquiry into the psychology of ethics. Routledge.
Lacan, J. (2013). The ethics of psychoanalysis 1959-1960: The seminar of Jacques Lacan.
Routledge.
Niebuhr, R. (2013). Moral man and immoral society: A study in ethics and politics.
Westminster John Knox Press.
Noddings, N. (2013). Caring: A relational approach to ethics and moral education. Univ of
California Press.
Nussbaum, M. C. (2013). The therapy of desire: Theory and practice in Hellenistic ethics.
Princeton University Press.
Peters, R. S. (2015). Ethics and Education (Routledge Revivals). Routledge.
Sorokin, P. (2017). Social and cultural dynamics: A study of change in major systems of art,
truth, ethics, law and social relationships. Routledge.

8
FACEBOOK DATA BREACH
Tavani, H. T. (2015). Levels of Trust in the Context of Machine Ethics. Philosophy &
Technology, 28(1), 75-90.