ITC506 Assignment 3: Ethical Implications of Data Privacy in ICT

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ITC506 Assignment 3
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Overview of the case.......................................................................................................................3
Analysis of the case.........................................................................................................................4
Recommendations............................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9
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Introduction
ICT is information and communication technology. The use of information and communication
technology is becoming wider these days. The utilisation of information and communication
technology has made the work of humans easier. Information and communication technology is
prominent in almost all businesses all over the world. This essay aims at finding out the issues
related to the application of information and communication technology. There will be a
discussion based on a case study, and the analysis of the case will be done to find out the
solutions to the issues associated with ICT. The essay will also contain some recommendations
for avoiding the situation of ethical breaches.
Overview of the case
The case is related to the privacy issues that are associated with information and communication
technology. There are numerous risks that a user may encounter while having any online dealing
but the most common risk is the risk of the privacy of information. The case is associated with an
article written by Evzeny Morozov. The author wrote an article which was titled “Selling your
bulk online data really means selling your Autonomy”. In the article, the author argued that there
are various websites or online platforms where the users have to enter their data and information.
There are some social media platforms on which the users deliberately share their extremely
personal information like the location or other important information. While doing this, the users
do not think even for a second that their data is stored somewhere which can be misused for
fraud purposes. The author says that the personal data of the people is their autonomy and by
providing this information to the online sellers mean to sell Autonomy. The online data
entrepreneurs treat the personal information of the people just as a commodity which is of use to
them; the user can be positive or negative depending upon the intentions of the data sellers.
There is another video which also strikes a similar line. In the video named “On Personal Data,
Forgiveness, and the Right to Be Forgotten” the philosopher Luciano Floridi shows that two
different perspectives can see the personal data of users. The first perspective is the philosophy
of economics. If this perspective looks the personal information, then the personal information is
treated as a property just like a house or a car (SCU, 2018). Then there is another perspective
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called the philosophy of mind. This perspective says that personal information is not a property
but is the element that constitutes the human being. If the information trespasses, then it is just
the copy or replication of the data, but no one can take the data away from the individual.
The author says that several online service platforms require the personal information of the
users for “free” services. If a person sees his personal information not as a commodity but as the
constituent, this means that the person is just donating his parts for no reason.
Analysis of the case
The case is clear that is associated with the privacy concerns of internet users. Cyber-crime is
increasing day by day, and this is all because of the increased use of personal information by
online marketers and the data sellers. Various ethical issues are related to the information and
communication technology like intellectual property, social inclusions, security, ICT
unprofessionalism and other major issues (Burmeister, 2017).
The main issue that is faced by everyone using the information and communication technology is
the problem of privacy of data. The data entered by the users in the online platforms are highly
persona like the address, contact number and live location which can be dangerous to be shared
with some unknown people. The case is all about the privacy concerns of people and the
treatment of the data by the data sellers and the users. Certain theories can analyze the case.
Utilitarianism
The first theory is the theory of Utilitarianism. This is the theory that helps in the determination
of wrong and right by the future outcomes of the act (Mill, 2016). The theory can be applied in
the case as it is the responsibility of the users to make effective use of personal information after
analysing the after effects of the act. If a user thinks that the information entered online can be
misused and can be dangerous, then the information should never be shared on such platforms.
The online marketers and data sellers also must take good care of the personal data of the users.
The data must be used for the limited purpose for which the data has been collected (Capurro,
2018). After the accomplishment of the purpose, the data must be deleted as some fraud people
can trespass the data and this can cause damage and danger to the users. The users and the online
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data sellers both must be responsible while taking any decision regarding the personal data and
must consider future outcomes.
Deontology
Another theory is the theory of Deontology. The theory is also related to the determination of
right and wrong, but it is not based on future results. The theory of deontology says that the act
done by a person must be ethically correct regardless of its outcomes. This theory can also be
applied in the case of privacy issues in ICT. When the data sellers make use of the personal
information of the users, they must think of the purpose of data and then make effective use of
the information. Misuse of the data is an unethical act and must be avoided by the data sellers.
The users also should make sure that the purpose of data collection is valid and ethically right,
then only information must be entered (Sacco, et. al., 2017).
Contract
The next theory is the theory of contract. This theory can be applied in the above case.
According to the theory of contract, two parties come into an agreement after considering the
terms and conditions of the agreement. There is a legal binding between the parties attached to
the contract. In the case of information and technology issues, the theory of contract applies as
the users and the data sellers and online marketers have to take care of their duties and
responsibilities. When a user enters the personal information, there is a dialogue box that
contains the terms and conditions. The users must read them thoroughly to safeguard themselves
from any frauds. The terms and conditions are important to note, and in case of breach of those
terms and conditions by the data sellers, they can be prosecuted for their actions.
Virtue
One more theory that can help analyse the case is the theory of virtue. The theory of virtue is
based on the moral character of a person rather than his acts. Sometimes the acts of person can
be ethical, but the intentions behind the act can be negative. The character of a person is based on
the morals and values of a person. The theory of virtue is applicable in this case as well. The data
sellers are also people with some values and different moral characters. The characters of the
people using the information highly influence the use of the information (Stahl, et. al., 2017). If
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the person has a negative attitude and thinks of own benefits, then it is obvious that the personal
information of the users can be used for fraud purposes whereas a person with high moral
principles and values will never misuse the confidential data of the users for selfish reasons.
Recommendations
Privacy has become a big concern in modern times as there is increased use of social media and
other internet platforms. It is thus crucial that privacy is taken as a serious issue and some
measures must be taken to avoid the ethical issues in the field of information and commui9cation
technology. Below are some recommendations for reducing the ethical risks in ICT:
All the terms and conditions must be read properly by the users before submitting any
confidential data on the internet websites.
It must be made sure that the website is authentic and only then information must be
filled in the website.
The purpose of information collection must always be taken into consideration. If there is
no requirement of highly personal information for a particular task, no personal
information must be provided.
There must be a use of end-to-end encryption while using any messaging application.
The social privacy settings must be checked before entering any data (Ludwig, et. al.,
2016).
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Conclusion
The essay concludes that with an increase in the usage of internet, the risks of privacy issues
have also increased a lot. It is the responsibility of the users and the data sellers to stay aware and
act ethically while using personal data and information. The breach of ethical value may lead to
dangerous outcomes for the users as well as online marketers. Rules and regulations must be
followed to protect the interests of the users.
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References
Burmeister, O. K. (2017). Professional ethics in the information age. Journal of
Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 15(4), 348-356.
Capurro, R. (2018). Why Information Ethics? 1. International Journal of Applied
Research on Information Technology and Computing, 9(1), 50-52.
Ludwig, T., Reuter, C., & Pipek, V. (2016). From publics to communities: Researching
the path of shared issues through ICT. Computer Supported Cooperative Work
(CSCW), 25(2-3), 193-225.
Mill, J. S. (2016). Utilitarianism. In Seven masterpieces of philosophy (pp. 337-383).
Routledge.
Sacco, D. F., Brown, M., Lustgraaf, C. J., & Hugenberg, K. (2017). The adaptive utility
of deontology: Deontological moral decision-making fosters perceptions of trust and
likeability. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 3(2), 125-132.
SCU, (2018). Do You own your data?. [Online]. SCU. Retrieved from:
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/privacy/do-you-own-your-data/ on 27 March 2019.
Stahl, B. C., Timmermans, J., & Flick, C. (2017). Ethics of Emerging Information and
Communication TechnologiesOn the implementation of responsible research and
innovation. Science and Public Policy, 44(3), 369-381.
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