An Examination of Ethical Issues: The Ethics of Unsubscribing

This essay delves into the ethical considerations surrounding email unsubscribing, examining how businesses ensure ethical conduct in their marketing practices. It highlights issues such as security concerns, privacy violations, and the challenges faced by older citizens in navigating these practices. The essay explores the impact of unsolicited emails, third-party subscriptions, and email lists, providing a detailed analysis of these issues. It also discusses the importance of ethical procedures, data protection, and the need for companies to provide easy and transparent unsubscribing processes. The analysis includes a look at how companies can create a better user experience and avoid unethical behaviors, such as sending spam mails without consent, and discusses the importance of adhering to data protection laws, providing security, and offering users control over their data. The essay also considers the role of self-regulation and consumer complaint management in addressing ethical concerns. The essay also investigates the potential for fraud and financial loss among older citizens due to spam emails, emphasizing the need for awareness and protection. The essay concludes by emphasizing the importance of implementing ethical guidelines and providing effective ways for users to unsubscribe from unwanted communications. The essay also touches on the technical aspects like security threats from viruses, spyware, and data breaches.

The “Ethics of Unsubscribing”

ABSTRACT
Unsubscribing the mail is the an important task through which companies ensure their
ethical conduct and accomplish all related activities so as to cater the requirement of the business
in an effectual manner. The essay under consideration reflects that how effectively firm is
providing the facility related to unsubscribing the spam mail and taking the corrective action
with regard to privacy and security etc. Furthermore, older citizen get affected from the security
issue, email list and other related aspects. Owing to this, current essay reflects that those issues
and appropriate action which can be taken by the business so as to manage the mail procedure in
an appropriate manner. Moreover, companies need to follow the ethical procedures so that users
do not face issues in unsubscribing the mail.
INTRODUCTION
Organizational ethics is the response to external and internal stimulus of the business.
The organizational culture and ethics is interdependent and accordingly do affect the internal
environment of the business. The set of principles are complied for the guidance of business,
decision and program as well as policies. The present essay is based on ethics of unsubscribing
through which different issues associated with the firm are explained. It reflects that how people
face issue in unsubscribing the unwanted mail and which are not sent in accordance with their
preferences. Furthermore, essay shed light on varied issues which are being faced by companies
such as security, older citizen and privacy related aspects are considered. In addition to this, third
party subscriptions and email lists as well as unsolicited email related problem which are being
faced by customers are explained in a detail manner along with suitable example.
MAIN BODY
The current scenario of data-driven marketing economic is continuously expanding for
ascertaining the growth of the corporations. However, the role of leading association is important
which aids to promote the responsible data-driven marketing. However, ethical, standards are
followed in order to comply with rules and regulations effectively (Al-Alsheikh and Saleh
Alharbi, 2017). Thought, without implementation of self-regulation approach it becomes typical
to cope up with the changing scenario and accordingly marketing procedure affect to a great
extent. For this purpose, consumer complaint management takes place in the company through

which all organizational activities can be managed. On a critical note, email marketing is widely
used by the organization so that message can be directly passed to key customers and the
potential one. For this purpose, an example of Myntra can be taken whereby messages are passed
to users with the help of help dropping mail. However, the main related to necessary order and
payment system is considered as the appropriate but notification of the new arrivals and small
discount on mail tend to irritate users (Bäckström, 2016). Now-a-days majority of customers face
issue related to unsubscribing the mail as the continuously get and accordingly their frustration
level is increased. Here, it becomes important to shed light on their issues and provide them
effective guidelines to unsubscribe the mails.
Hypothesis
The companies feel free to send the messages on email id of users without taking their
consent. This create several issues including security, privacy etc. For this purpose, null
hypothesis is stated as follows-
The ethics of unsubscribing targeted users through predatory practices affects older
people by means of deception, privacy, don't size and security attacks.
The below mentioned table is showing that several companies send the spam mails to the
customers or clients. It is because they have the list of the mails and accordingly message it
floated among them. These different companies mentioned under the table can call people any
time along with giving the text because they have the ID of the customers. Not only this but the
unsubscribing of mail become quite hard due to display of questions such as why you want to
unsubscribe the mail etc. The major reason behind asking such kind of question by the
companies to make the unsubscribing very hard and give the same procedure in mid way. At the
same time, they make it possible for you to push the wrong button so as to continuous sent the
spam mail.
Spam
mails/name
of the
companies
Coles Woolworths Catlex Zara Twitter Flipboard iHeart Facebook
E-mail ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Name ✓ ✓ X ✓ ✓ ✓ X X
Update ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Security
issue
X X X X ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

The series of images reflects that appropriate ways to unsubscribe the spam mail sent by
the different companies.
Security issues
The security issue remains higher with the email marketing because corporations get to
know about the personal ID of customers and use it for future. It might be possible that users do
not want to have such kind of system such as recording their personal information. Still
sometimes purchase procedures force them to provide some of the specific information. For this
purpose, they need to provide their data and accordingly they might face issue related to security.
On the other hand, customers are not provided proper options to unsubscribe those unwanted
mails as they might not like all of them (Dickenson, 2010). Furthermore, users face issue in
unsubscribing the mail a they are asked to provide their personal information which tends to
increase their frustration level. It is considered under the head of unethical behavior of the
business.

The above mentioned image is showing that security issues are highly associated with
email. It is because computers of receiver and sender are connected to each other. Owing to this,
appropriate security system should be implemented.
Some of the corporation create the fake messages with wrong intention to take the
personal information of users and use the same for their own benefits. It affect the security of the
customers to a great extent. It can be critically evaluated that all emails sent to corporate cannot
be considered as the unsolicited due to some of its indications. Although, majority of the cases
reveals the unlawful information by the end of the corporation which is sent via unsolicited
mails. This situation might be different if users has already provided own consent to provide the
data and receive the mails from the particular organization. Generally, all businesses need to
incorporate some of the specific detail in their every mail. It consists of name of the organization,
registration number and place of registration as well as address of the firm. These requirement is
mandatory by the end of companies act in order to promote the ethical conduct of the business in
the marketplace and support all corporation to follow the standard standard and regulation set by
the government (FARCANE and BUNGET, 2012). Furthermore, Data Protection Act 1998
provide the right to individual to take the action related to prohibiting the marketing emails
which are not related to their interest. It aids to secure their right effectively and ensure the well
being of corporation as well as customers both.
In addition to this, customers must get the information related to subscribes and
corporate subscribers are different. This kind of scenario must be considered by all related

stakeholders so they cannot effectively focus on the requirement. Moreover, the risk related to
security issue can be resolved by including the ltd company information. It makes the mail more
effective and offering a chance to customers to being loyal towards the brand. In addition to this,
information related to subscriber. Moreover, opt-put request process must be responded quickly.
At this juncture, automated system can be used through which issue related to security can be
resolved by providing the quick response the buyers (Gibbons, 2016). It enables them to cope up
with changing scenario and handle all business related activities in an effectual manner. Apart
from this, another security issue can be created through link to viruses and spyware. For this
purpose, it is important to keep the message or mail safe from any kind of viruses and allow
customers and contact their parties effectively. For example, customers personal information will
not be leaked if firm follow the appropriate approach for its email marketing strategies. In fact it
would be more effective to gain their attraction and make them enable to be loyal towards the
brand. Apart from this special care can be taken for the competition generated subscription. It
leads to create the goodwill of the business with the increased rate of return and retain all its
customers for longer time span (Al-Alsheikh and Saleh Alharbi, 2017).
Older citizens
With the change of time, there are different type of changes that has taken place. In this
context, it is important to make sure that all the changes that are being implemented are known to
every one (Ricketts and Koller, 2014). For this aspect, young people are the one who prefer to
implement and make use of new or updated technology that help them to enjoy them. With
improvement or advancement in technology, crime also take place in which there is fraud, spam,
etc. Among all the age groups, old citizens are the one who get affected or get in problems of
fraud. One of the main reason is due to lack of understanding towards the technological
advancement that has taken place (Kelly, 2015). There are many spam call that are done by
people to old people within erg to earn money or to take up insurance (Alkahtani, Goodwin and
Gardner Stephen, 2013). These all are considered to be the strategies with the help of which
people try to earn money. Further, there are many applications in which when selection is made
wrong, then money gets deducted. All these aspects arise due to lack of awareness of people.
Around the world, people aim at earning money and this is done by illegal or legal manner.

However, illegal way does provide huge scope of money but in same time there are many
consequences (Shrivastava and Bindu, 2013).
However, it is important for the young people to understand the issues that are being
faced by old citizens and help them to overcome their problems. Further, there are another issues
due to which old citizen face issues related to spam is because lack of interest taken from their
side. When they do not take up interest, then it becomes issues and they get in trouble of spams.
In this context, there are other conditions like health problems that includes mental and physical
issues (Afzal and Mehmood, 2016). During old age the one needs to self dependent and if not,
then the risk of spam or fraud increases. Further, there are many government supported schemes
that are enacted in order to protect the interest of old people. However, due to lack of
information people fail to take advantage of it. There are different type of ways that are being
used by people to make fraud others. In this context, it includes email, spam calls, etc. Email can
be determined as one of the main source that are used by people to get money illegally from old
citizens in name of lottery, or lucky customer, etc. (Shrivastava and Bindu, 2013). All the
citizens who do not have proper information fall for it and they money get swipes away and later
on there nothing that can be done by officials. This way it can be stated that advancement in
technology is for the betterment of people but it is also important that all the changes that take
place should be considered and needs to be know to people so that individuals get make them
safe from getting into problems.
Email lists
Email lists refers to the contact of customers through which corporation can provide them
timely information in order to get the fruitful information. Sometimes, businesses helps each
other by providing the data of customers and making the procedure of marketing more easier. It
is considered as the unethical practices which has negative impact of the business in the
marketplace. Furthermore, CAN SPAM reflects that selling the email list illegal which tend to
affect the parties involved int these. Generally parties consists of companies who are dealing
with transaction related to selling the mailing list or giving it on rent. At this juncture, companies
like Unilever do not believe to sale their mailing list. If they do then they just provide the list
containing the respondents with low response rate. This proves to be effective for reputation of
the business because customers cannot be shifted from one to another brand as they have already

been targeted with unwanted propaganda. For this purpose, corporation must follow the federal
rules imposed by e-mail marketing under which people can be provided direct access to sites for
subscribing the particular mail or information. At the same time, content of mail should be easily
understood which can be referred by people to get the better understanding for the issue under
consideration. On the other hand, invitation to contact can also be done with the help of giving
the business card in order to comply with CAN-SPAM.
Apart from this, some of the business ensure their own benefit or commission by
providing the email list to other competitors. This misleads users and distrust the corporation. It
results in poor sales turnover of the firm and affecting its overall operation at the local as well as
international marketplace (Perle and Ferrance, 2015). Owing to this, several issues are associated
with mailing list which become the reason of mail harassment by violating the right of customers
and provide them forceful information. Some of the issues like accidental spam reports and
abuse alert on account increase the dissatisfaction level of consumers. However, the aspects
related to accidental abuse complaints are considered as the foremost under which parties get
disturbed due to any action of customers and they might be held liable for any act they have not
committed.
It can be critically evaluated that telemarketers built up the database of customers through
shopping malls, some banks and couriers services and then use the email addresses as well as
mobile numbers to send some of the specific information related to products and services.
Although regulations are formed for successful not allowing easy access of email address of the
customers from any banks and shopping malls etc. From the prospective of companies also email
marketing can be critical on certain point of time due to CAN SPAM. It creates issue for the
business to understand the actual scenario they continuously get the complaints regarding the
applied email marketing strategies which actual take place because of default setting in
customers' system (Perle and Ferrance, 2015). On the other hand, some of the corporations uses
forceful procedure for customers to sign up the link even if they do not want. It happens because
of sexual abuse related mail as customers get irritated from the same. It becomes dangerous to
ensure their security and in short corporation get loss due to such kind of internet or email
marketing strategies. In case of not complying the ethical practices for email marketing, ID or
domain might be blocked by the responsible authority and firm can be punished for the

scamming. Therefore, custom email list can be formed for better working of all related email
marketing. It can be critically evaluated that buying and selling of email list can be avoided as it
considered as the ethical issue for both parries such as customers and companies.
Privacy
Businesses are operating at international level along with range of products and services
for the purpose of meeting specific requirement of customers and increasing overall rate of
return. For this purpose, it is essential for firm to shed light on marketing related activities and
grabbing attention of buyers. However, the marketing is completed effectively on the basis of
adaption and standardization both which target to retain customers effectively. This is made
possible by offering the right kind of product to customers on right time. It can be critically
evaluated that application of e-mail marketing might be dangerous for the reputation of the
business as it is into considered as ethical in case firm get the data of customers without their
consent. In fact it increase their frustration level and they might like to access the products and
services which are being provided by the particular organization (Rosen, 2010).
In order to keep into mind the transparency, it is important for corporation to take into
account the transparency, consumer choice and consumer consent for sending any kind of
message. For this purpose, Tesco also send messages to its customers through mail and mobile
text messages. Owing to this, firm at first take the consent of consumers and accordantly they are
provided further services. It can be critically evaluated that respondent must be provided with
suitable option to unsubscribe the mail. This in turn email is usually marked as the spam if it not
sent as per the permission of the respondents. However, spamming is applied for different
reasons. At this juncture, easy option, unsolicited mails and abuse report are considered as
effective to ensure the privacy of parties associated. It can be critically evaluated that regulations
formed by cyber crime should not be violated by the firms (Tallon, 2012).
For this purpose, it is important to shed light on privacy issues which are occurring with
customers and accordingly they must be provided right kind of services. For example, in case
firms are going to launch their product and services at international level then it is very important
for them to address the specific regulation and expectations of buyers. In addition to this,
businesses operating in UK should comply with Data Protect Act 1998 and it reflects that
corporations are now allowed to pass on the information of customers to any other party. It