University IT Ethics Essay: Data Collection and Personality Analysis

This essay delves into the ethical complexities surrounding data collection and personality harvesting within the realm of Information Technology. The core of the discussion revolves around a case study involving Cambridge Analytica, a big data analytics company that utilized personality traits to tailor political campaigns by collecting data from millions of voters. The essay critically examines this practice through the lens of four key ethical theories: utilitarianism, deontology, contract theory, and virtue ethics. The analysis reveals that the collection of personal data without explicit user consent and transparency violates ethical principles across multiple frameworks. The essay concludes that the practice is unethical, particularly because it fails to ensure the honesty and transparency necessary for ethical data handling. It underscores the importance of informed consent and clearly communicated purposes when collecting personal data to mitigate ethical concerns and protect individual privacy. The essay emphasizes the need for data collection practices to be transparent, ensuring that individuals are fully aware of how their data will be used.

Running head: TOPICS IN IT ETHICS
Topics in IT Ethics: Data Collection: “Harvesting” Personalities Online
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

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Argument Visualization
The argument visualization of the chosen situation is indicated in the picture below-
Figure 1: Argument Visualization
(Source: created by author using MindMup)

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Introduction
The essay aims discussing the ethical issue related to the collection and harvesting of the
personalities online. A case study is chosen that aims in analyzing the ethical issues associated
with the collection of personal data and harvesting of those data. The big data analytics company
named Cambridge Analytica helps the political candidates in tailoring their campaign by
collecting the personality traits of the recipients (University, 2019). According to the data
provided by the company, the company has been successful in collecting data of registered
Voters (that counts to 190 million ) in the United States. The collection of data without letting
the users know the actual reason of data collection can give rise to a major ethical issue (Mason,
2017). These data are collected online through questionnaire and these type of questionnaire are
generated using advertisements that promises to provide data related to personality traits.
1. Utilitarianism Theory
The normative ethical theory that judges right and wrong based on the consequences of
one particular action is described as Utilitarianism theory. Therefore, according to the
Utilitarianism theory, the ethical viability of a particular scenario is completed dependent on
actions (Weiss, 2014). Utilitarianism is one of the best known moral theories as the core idea of
the same is to check whether a particular situation is morally right or wrong (Lyons, 2015).
According to this ethical theory, the right and wrong of particular work or a situation is
completely dependent on the outcomes (DesJardins & McCall, 2014). Most of the ethical choice
according to this particular ethical theory also aims in production of greatest good.
The personalities of people that cannot be harvested online are extrapolated with similar
data in order to get an idea of the personality traits of those individuals who are not taking the

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online surveys (Mill, 2016). This is unethical as the consequence of collection of data through
this method is completely unethical (Shaw & Barry, 2015). The individuals whose data is being
collected should have had an idea of the purpose of data collection. The situation that is
highlighted in the chosen case study is highlighted on basis of the deontology theory.
2. Deontology Theory
The deontology theory of ethics is a normative ethical theory that defines the morality of
an action on basis of the action and not the consequence of the action. The rule of deontology
ethical theory makes use of certain rules to distinguish right and wrong in the ethical theory. The
theory of deontology provides special emphasis on the relationship between duty and morality of
the human action (LaFollette, 2014). The deontology ethical theory is considered to be morally
good particularly because it is easier to identify the rightness and wrongness of an action.
The situation that is being analyzed is based on harvesting the personalities of a number
of individual online. The data is being harvested without the concern of the individuals whose
data is collected and therefore, the action of harvesting the personalities of the people online is
itself wrong. Therefore, this particular ethical issue is needed to be addressed in order to
eliminate the ethical concern associated with the particular situation.
3. Contract Theory
The contract theory of ethics or the social contract theory establishes the fact that a
scenario will be ethical subjected to the fact that it is accepted by a larger part of a society. A
situation will be ethical only if it works for greater good to the society.

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The situation that is being analyzed is mainly based on collection of personalities of
millions of people online. Since the individuals have no idea that their data is being harvested, it
can be commented that this particular situation is not ethically correct (Herschel & Miori, 2017).
The personalities of the people are harvested online to make use of the same in political
campaigns. This can never be good for a greater part of the society and therefore, the evaluated
scenario is unethical as per the contract theory.
4. Virtue Theory
Virtue theory of ethics is mainly evaluated on basis of the morality and honesty of a
person. The Virtue theory of the ethics mainly establishes the need of developing and practicing
good habits of honesty, generosity and virtuous person. The ethical theory of virtue helps in
better resolving of the ethical complexities.
Collection of the data related to the personalities of people may not ethical particularly
because it not establishes honesty and morality in action. The current situation is not ethical
particularly because the collection of data online for a purpose that is not used for greater good
does not involve honesty and generosity in the action (Van Hooft, 2014). Therefore, the
particular situation that is being evaluated is unethical on basis of theory of virtue ethics as well
and therefore, the situation is needed to be addressed.
Conclusion
The essay analyses a particular ethical theory on basis of four basic ethical theories. The
situation is found to be unethical on basis of the Utilitarianism theory of ethics and the
consequence of data collection may not be beneficial to others. The chosen case provides an idea
about how data of millions of Americans are harvested online, by luring them into participating

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in online surveys dealing with weighing the personalities. The scenario is unethical on basis of
deontology ethical theory, theory of virtue ethics and contract theory as well. The analyzed
situation is found to be unethical particularly because the actual aim of data collection is not
communicated to the users from whom the data is collected. Furthermore, the chosen case study
reveals that even if a particular group of people has not taken up the survey, their data is
extrapolated to be used in political campaign. Therefore, it can be commented that collection of
data related to personalities of millions of people without their permission and knowledge is
completely unethical and therefore, the issues should be addressed. If data is needed to be
collected, the actual purpose of data collection should be transparent in front of the individuals
from whom the data is collected in order to eliminate the ethical issue associated with the
particular situation.

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References
DesJardins, J. R., & McCall, J. J. (2014). Contemporary issues in business ethics. Cengage
Learning.
Herschel, R., & Miori, V. M. (2017). Ethics & big data. Technology in Society, 49, 31-36.
LaFollette, H. (Ed.). (2014). Ethics in practice: an anthology. John Wiley & Sons.
Lyons, D. (2015). Utilitarianism. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, 1-4.
Mason, R. O. (2017). Four ethical issues of the information age. In Computer Ethics (pp. 41-48).
Routledge.
Mill, J. S. (2016). Utilitarianism. In Seven masterpieces of philosophy (pp. 337-383). Routledge.
Shaw, W. H., & Barry, V. (2015). Moral issues in business. Cengage Learning.
University, S. (2019). Data Collection: “Harvesting” Personalities Online. Retrieved from
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/internet-ethics/resources/data-collection-
harvesting-personalities-online/
Van Hooft, S. (2014). Understanding virtue ethics. Routledge.
Weiss, J. W. (2014). Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach. Berrett-
Koehler Publishers.