IT Ethics: Apps and Privacy Case Study 2022

Running head: IT ETHICS
IT Ethics: Apps and Privacy
Name of Student
Name of University

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IT ETHICS
Apps and Privacy: An Ethical Case Study
Introduction
The use of different social networking application has increased over the years with the
increasing number of users in social media. The chosen case is based on a social networking
application called Path that make use of smart journals that help in sharing life with the loved
ones (University, 2019). In the year 2010, the company was founded and by the year 2012, it
found itself amidst of the controversies (University, 2019). The application was collecting the
contact information of its users without their permission and the unencrypted information was
being transferred to the servers. This resulted in an increasing privacy issues (Van Hooft, 2014).
The report aims in analysis of the chosen case on basis of the Utilitarianism theory, deontology
theory, virtue theory of ethics and contract theory of ethics. The chosen case raises the question
whether it was collection and storage of the contacts of the app users unethical? This question
will be examined on basis of the named four theories of ethics and will recommendations will be
provided regarding whether the Path’s designers should have considered different process. The
following paragraphs analyses the case on basis of the four classical theories of ethics.
Analysis of the case study using Utilitarianism Theory
The ethical theory of Utilitarianism, increase the notion of good or bad to the
consequences of the performance. Thus, according to this theory, if the consequence is right, the
action is also right (Lyons, 2015). The Utilitarianism theory can therefore said to rely on the
consequences and analysis of the consequences of an action leads to the analysis of the case on
basis of Utilitarianism theory. For assessing the actions consequences, the Utilitarianism theory
mainly relies on the theories of intrinsic values apart from the consequences of that particular

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IT ETHICS
action (Mason, 2017). The Utilitarianism theory relies on some theory of the intrinsic values and
put emphasis mainly on the consequences.
On analysis of the chosen case based on utilitarianism theory, it is observed that the
consequence of making use of the users’ data without their permission is unethical. One of the
most important principles of Utilitarianism theory is that it should promote happiness (Mill,
2016). Path although was providing a platform where users can connect to their loved ones, the
use of data without the permission of the users does not promote happiness as it increases the
ethical issue (University, 2019). The utilitarianism theory is generally considered to be a form of
consequentialism, and the results of the actions of collection of data and their storage without
encryption is unethical based on the theory of Utilitarianism.
Taking the permission of the users prior to the collection of data was essential and it
could have addressed the negative consequences that Path faced for sending the unencrypted data
of the users to their servers (Mill, 2016). Furthermore, the security of the users’ data should have
been a foremost concern of the developers and therefore, the developers could have done it in a
different way so as to eliminate the risk of users’ privacy compromise. Thus, it can be said that
the chosen case is not ethical in consideration to Utilitarianism ethical theory.
Pros and Cons
The pros of the given situation is that link between the friends and family of individuals
can be easily established through the application. The collection of data in this manner is
effective in terms of Utilitarianism theory mainly because the consequence of the same is linked
with establishing link between the family members. However, the con is that the entire situation
is linked with collection of personal data without permission of the user.