University Report: Ethical Issues of Online Monitoring Processes

This report delves into the ethical issues arising from online monitoring processes, particularly within the context of computing. It examines the ethical considerations for computing professionals, analyzing the conceptual aspects of security, privacy, and related legal issues. The report discusses the ethical concerns related to data collection, behavioral targeting in advertising, and the lack of transparency in data practices. It explores the invasion of privacy, the potential for misuse of collected data, and the absence of user control over data sharing. The report also examines the impact of employee monitoring and the challenges associated with data storage and breaches. The report argues for the need to address these issues and provides recommendations, including the use of firewalls, allowing users to opt-out of monitoring, and obtaining user acknowledgement. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing these ethical concerns to ensure responsible and ethical online practices.

Running head: ONLINE MONITORING PROCESS ETHICAL ISSUES
ONLINE MONITORING ETHICAL ISSUES
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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ONLINE MONITORING ETHICAL ISSUES
Table of Contents
Ethical Issue of computing professionals.....................................................................................................2
Conceptual analysis of Security...................................................................................................................3
Privacy and legal issue................................................................................................................................3
Argument.....................................................................................................................................................5
Recommendation.........................................................................................................................................6
References...................................................................................................................................................7

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Ethical Issue of computing professionals
There have been several ethical issues that are to be considered in the operational process
of the computing systems. It have been seen that with the increase in convenience of the working
process, an increase in the ethical issues are considered. This is one of the major factor that have
been affecting then operational process.
It have been seen that there have been several ethical issues that have been rising due to
the usage of the virtual platform. This have been leading to the fact that there is a constant usage
of internet by the society. This have been seen that online monitoring of the clients as well as the
employees have been one of the major aspect that is to be considered in the process. The major
prospect that have been observed in this case is that the privacy of the customers and the clients
have been questioned. It have been seen that the phenomenal growth in the usage of internet
have been affecting the entire working process (Byrne, Kirwan and Mc Guckin 2019). Despite
the fact that the customer service have been getting better due to this monitoring process, it can
be stated that there are ethical aspects as well. It have been seen that there are several online apps
that have been providing the clients with operational process that have been bettering the surfing
process. These apps have been also providing a great customer experience to their clients.
However the aspect that is considered in the process is that the monitoring of the clients have
been considered as an ethical issue (Englehardt, Han and Narayanan 2018). The major reason of
considering this tracking of the clients to be important is that the entire process is performed
without proper acknowledgement of the clients. This have been the major prospect that is to be
considered.

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It have been seen that the marketing process have been getting its new fuel in the form of
data that are generated in the process. This is considered to be an important aspect as the entire
marketing system have been facing a huge alteration. Despite the fact that this gaining of data
have been bettering the marketing process, the ethical issues are also to be considered in the
section. This is considered to be an important aspect. It is seen that the marketing team have been
following the clients’ each and every movement in order to understand the demands and the
wants of the clients (Barsky 2017). This have been leading to the invasion of privacy. This
invasion of privacy have been also causing improper working process.
Conceptual analysis of Security
There is a need of performing conceptual analysis of privacy in the working process. It
have been seen that there have been several legal and philosophical peer scholars that have
examined the fact that there is a requirement of privacy in the workplace. It is stated that privacy
management have been acting important in the developing relationship and maintaining diversity
in the process (Karaj et al 2018). It have been seen that there will be a requirement of privacy
among the customers and respective brands.
Privacy and legal issue
Despite the fact that there is no such amendment regarding the privacy of individuals. It
have been seen that Internet have been growing explicitly. This is the major factor that have been
affecting the management section. This sectioning of the management process ensures that there
will be proper assessment of the predictive analysis. It have been seen that with higher data
gathering process, the entire working process have been getting proper assessment of the data
that have been gathered by the clients without any kind of acknowledgement.

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ONLINE MONITORING ETHICAL ISSUES
There are certain issues that have been faced in the process. The major issue that have
been found in this case is namely behavioral targeting that have been making the advertising
more relevant for the clients and this acts persuasive in nature. It can be stated that the data that
are collected are done without any kind of acknowledgement of the clients themselves.
Deontological and Teleological approaches are considered for analysis of the activity that
are performed in the process. One of the ethical issue that is considered in the process is that
there is deception in the operational process due to data gathering and monitoring process. This
deception is considered to be an ethical issue. It have been seen that there are several aspects that
are to be considered in the process. This section states that different business organizations have
been stealing data from different browsers for performing the analysis process. Even ISP based
tracking have been performed as well. In the process of gaining important data of the clients that
will be helpful for performing proper analysis, personal data are also collected. It can be stated
that the clients might not have been comfortable in sharing the data with the organizations yet the
data are shared (Cofone 2017). Again in case the data analyst who been gathering the data fails
to store the data with utmost safety, there is a huge chance of data breaching. In case the data
breaching is done, it can be stated that the personal data that have been collected will be used
against the client in a negative manner.
The next issue that is considered is that there is no active transparency in the process
regarding the data collection process. It can be stated that the data collection process is mostly
performed in an illegal and opaque manner. It can be stated that companies and organizations can
be performing proper analysis with the proper acknowledgment of the clients. This would have
been making the entire process legal. It can be stated that the collection process have been
ensuring the legal aspect is also maintained (Bashir and Wilson 2018). However, it is a rare sight

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that the organizations are collecting data with proper acknowledgement of the clients and hence
making the entire process being an unethical process.
Another unethical aspect that is considered in the process is that the customers does not
have the opportunity to decide the comprehensiveness of the data that are being provided. It can
be stated that the data that are collected b during the online monitoring process are not capped by
the customers and the customers do not get the opportunity to determine which data is to be
provided. It can be stated that the clients might not be wanting to provide the entire data set.
However, gathering the data set that is generated during their activities is performed. It is also
seen that employees in an office premises are constantly monitored. It can be stated that the
entire tracking process is performed for increasing the productivity. However, in the tracking
process the limit of tracking is often crossed (Krushel et al 2019). It can be observed that the
online activities are monitored in a manner that the chats that are performed are also monitored
and tracked. This tracking process might be affecting the employee in his personal life. This
limitless tracking is considered as an ethical issue as well. Another ethical issue that is present in
the process is that the clients do not have any kind of opting out from the data gathering process.
The most important and dangerous ethical issue that is present in the section is that the
data that are collected by the advertising agencies are often not stores in a robust manner. This
improper data storage might be leading to data breach, which might lead to legal as well as
ethical issue. This is one of the major reason that the entire monitoring process is considered to
be unethical in nature.

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Argument
It can be stated that there are several ethical issues that are present in the process of
online tracking process, it can be stated that there is a requirement of the online tracking and
monitoring process. It is seen that with the help of the data gathering process, the entire working
process have been getting easier and the convenience in the work process have been on an
increasing node. The marketing process have been getting immensely benefitted in the process,
However there are certain measures that are to be taken for eliminating the ethical issues that are
present in the process.
Recommendation
 Usage of firewall in the data storing section
 Allow the clients to opt out from online monitoring
 Take acknowledgement of individuals for online monitoring or inform them regarding
the monitoring process
These are the steps that are to be taken for eliminating the ethical issues in the online monitoring
process.

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References
Barsky, A.E., 2017. Social work practice and technology: Ethical issues and policy
responses. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 35(1), pp.8-19.
Bashir, M.A. and Wilson, C., 2018. Diffusion of user tracking data in the online advertising
ecosystem. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 2018(4), pp.85-103.
Byrne, J., Kirwan, G. and Mc Guckin, C., 2019. Social Media Surveillance in Social Work:
Practice Realities and Ethical Implications. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 37(2-3),
pp.142-158.
Cofone, I.N., 2017. The way the cookie crumbles: online tracking meets behavioural
economics. International Journal of Law and Information Technology, 25(1), pp.38-62.
Englehardt, S., Han, J. and Narayanan, A., 2018. I never signed up for this! Privacy implications
of email tracking. Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies, 2018(1), pp.109-126.
Karaj, A., Macbeth, S., Berson, R. and Pujol, J.M., 2018. Whotracks. me: Monitoring the online
tracking landscape at scale. arXiv preprint arXiv:1804.08959.
Krushel, E., Stepanchenko, I., Panfilov, A. and Lyutaya, T., 2019, September. Detection of the
Patterns in the Daily Route Choices of the Urban Social Transport System Clients Based on the
Decoupling of Passengers’ Preferences Between the Levels of Uncertainty. In Conference on
Creativity in Intelligent Technologies and Data Science (pp. 175-188). Springer, Cham.