In a traditional business model, companies provide a product or service to their customers. However, in today’s digital marketplace, users of a company’s app, website, or game are not the true customers. While users are able to access these apps for free, companies can then sell those users data and attention to advertisers and other interested parties. But in a world now dominated by surveillance capitalism, is the use of user data exploitation, or just good business? Tech companies must increase transparency of how they plan to collect and use data, and developers should refuse to use manipulative or addictive methods in order to capitalize on users.
View More Now That We Have Your AttentionTag: Privacy
Balancing Integrity with Privacy in Virtual Learning
10/5/2020 With the coronavirus pandemic continuing much longer than anticipated, schools adjusting to fully virtual classes or a hybrid model are scrambling to find ways…
View More Balancing Integrity with Privacy in Virtual LearningThe Unnerving Implications of Brain-Computer Interfaces
9/28/2020 Elon Musk has always been one for lofty technological goals, but he’s not always concerned with their societal or ethical implications. During a recent…
View More The Unnerving Implications of Brain-Computer InterfacesCatching Up as the World Moves Online
4/7/2020 The current COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for many companies across the globe, but one app has seen its business explode: video conferencing platform…
View More Catching Up as the World Moves OnlineFacial Recognition in Schools Might Do More Harm than Good
2/24/2020 “Being spied on like dissidents is not part of the high school experience that any of us would want for our children,” urged Jim Schulz,…
View More Facial Recognition in Schools Might Do More Harm than GoodBig Benefits of Big Data: Data Privacy Takes a Backseat
“Between the dawn of civilization and 2003, we only created five exabytes (1 exabyte=1,000,000,000 gigabytes) of data; now we’re creating that amount every two days.…
View More Big Benefits of Big Data: Data Privacy Takes a BackseatOn the Use of Encrypted Data by Law Enforcement
Recent events have sparked a national debate about the government’s access to encrypted personal data from smartphones and the role technology companies have in solving crimes. This paper will discuss the ethical implications associated with a particular case from San Bernardino, California, and the reactions of the FBI and Apple Inc. An in-depth analysis of this case will provide the basis for arriving at a moral conclusion.
View More On the Use of Encrypted Data by Law EnforcementThe Future of Location-Based Services and the Implications of User Privacy
Location-based services (LBS) have seen a rise in popularity in recent years. These services employ the use of real time GPS data to help facilitate many of our everyday tasks such as identifying nearby points of interest, locating restaurants, and providing other travel-related information. Moreover, LBS are used in more serious situations like those of fraud prevention and emergency locating. However, as this technology continues to progress, concern has been raised over its ethical implications. In particular, many are worried about its threats to user privacy. This paper works to identify these potential threats and outlines ways in which security can be improved without compromising our privacy.
View More The Future of Location-Based Services and the Implications of User PrivacyGrateful Patient Programs: Doctors as Caregivers and Fundraisers
3/8/2019 Profiled article P. Galewitz, “Hospitals Are Asking Their Own Patients to Donate Money”, Jan. 28, 2019. [Online] The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/business/hospitals-asking-patients-donate-money.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FEthics…
View More Grateful Patient Programs: Doctors as Caregivers and FundraisersHey Siri, Am I Being Watched? The Future of Privacy with the Internet of Things
Introduction Hey Alexa! Can you make sure I remembered to lock my apartment this morning? Ok Google… It’s freezing today. Can you turn on the…
View More Hey Siri, Am I Being Watched? The Future of Privacy with the Internet of Things