The Ethical Dilemmas of Collecting Data and the Consequential Revision of Commodities, Culture and the Politics of Representations Definitions

One of the biggest concerns in the United States of America today is privacy. For its citizens, this concern is due mostly in part to new developments in technology and big data collection. Yes, this technology and data collection is beneficial for American citizens and is a step in the right direction for humankind, but to what extent? The CQ Researcher article titled, “Big Data and Privacy” by Tom Price answers just that question. More specifically, a monumental factor for technological advancement this article explains is the use of personal information by the producers of new technology and the collection of big data in this day in age. What makes this debate on the violation of privacy through the use personal information by businesses, as well as, the general population, is that big data collection is the staple of technological advancement and serves as a convenience for Americans. Although big data collection and technology serves as an extreme benefit in relation to convenience and societal advancement for those who use and consume it, how far will scientists, researchers, businesses, and the government push before it becomes a violation our privacy as citizens of the United States of America?

These extremely large data sets may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations relating to human behavior and interaction. These analysesaffect us on day to day basis positively and negatively and the legality of how this information is collected and the laws that apply may be unclear. Both with or without users' knowledge, consumer personal data is collected from every daily, digital activity; from purchases, web searches, amazon searches, browsing history, and phone use. This data is generated, and then downloaded and stored. [15] Companies can then use this data to create "data sets" or large files of users' data to produce customer profiling. This data can also be used by police, the governmental bodies, scientists, businesses, military, and other industries where occasional breaches of data are expected .[16] Breaches and leaks of personal information including phone calls, credit card information, home address, and personal phone numbers are examples of information that is logged and stored by these corporations while making "data sets". Much of this information is being processed and sold to marketers for the purpose of marketing their products. This information is stored digitally and in some cases, regardless of the security of the information being stored, there are risks of unauthorized parties

In “Privacy under Attack,” the authors discuss some potential ways of how our privacy could be in danger or stolen by companies or accessible by administration and corporations. According to the authors, some ways that our privacy could be in danger are first through video records and picture taken by traffic cameras and surveillance cameras for us. Second through illegal “wiretaps” by the government that could hear our conversations. Third, our privacy and personal data could be “monitored by corporations through the role of club cards, raffles, or refunds that outside companies’ collection of data about us can then be sold without noticing, given consumers the optional to search for the box on any frame to indicate they don’t want their personal

There are several positive uses of big data including the development of more accurate weather prediction systems, research and production of self-driving vehicles, making cities smarter, and collecting more data during exercise in order to train in the most efficient way. The essential item in keeping this straight is striving to develop policies that reflect our ideals and then implementing it. This falls on the shoulders of the government. Minimizing the gap between the implementation and policy can be achieved through various venues. Transparency is of paramount importance when dealing with surveillance and entrusting other entities with personal information. If any person is being spied on or having information collected, they should know about it and of course it should be legal. Google as a service is a good example. Although using Google’s services are “free” to use, it sells our personal information to other companies for surveillance capitalism and marketing. Google should have an agreement or make it clearly known that this is what is happening and then provide an option to pay for its services directly and not disclose user’s information. Additionally, companies that participate in such behaviors should be legally bound with well-defined terms and be regularly

Even though “big data” is very valuable and has made many great gains for society in both efficiency and knowledge, with the increase in data collection and analytics there are many ethical concerns of how the data is being used because evidence based decision making within the analytics is often done solely on quantitative information, this creates digital inequity. Comparing and examining the works of Socrates and Martin Luther King Jr., we can develop our own ethical belief regarding some of the analytics used with “big data”.

Even though the impact of this article is rather small on the rest of the world, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t an impact on the United States. What the writer was trying to accomplish by writing this article is to bring the issue of whether using a large amount of data that is being sold from companies to the police is invading the privacy of the citizens; it is for the reader and the audience to form a conclusion and opinion in order to get a discussion

Privacy vs. security has been a hot topic of debate for every country around the world. The argument is whether or not the government should get to see all of its citizens information to keep its people more protected. However, in the article "Who Has the Right to Track You?", the author explains that corporations are seeking the right to purchase certain individuals private information. The author greatly shows the idea that companies are becoming too powerful and too demanding. In comparison, in the article "Private License Plate Scanners Amassing Vast Databases Open to Highest Bidders", the author describes how certain governments will sell technology to capture private

The amount of data produced in the world is increasing exponentially, and we are a part of this phenomenon. We all use email, phones, social media, and credit cards. The new technologies that we are bringing home, such as smart cars and smart TVs, are collecting more and more data. Boyd and Crawford exposed the imperfections of the Big Data industry, and they have shown that we cannot assume that the industry will solve its own problems. By using all these technologies, we have given Big Data access to our finances, social interactions, homes, and minds. Big Data offers imperfect people tools that can be used for good and evil. If we are blind to how our data is being collected, the industry will continue misusing our data. But if we pay attention, and demand the technology companies respect our privacy, they will be forced to have higher standards. Currently, our society has ignored how our privacy is being jeopardized. As Boyd and Crawford noted, we don’t have the tools and access of researches, and our often unaware of the algorithms collecting our information (759,760). But we do have power. We can voice our concerns, or find alternatives to services that don’t respect us. We can use the tools we have access to for good, just like Big Data has been used

Many people have become so immersed in data, that they are unable to recognize the data that they have been exposed to. For example, many college students either watch tv or listen to music while completing homework. Students often time just see this as background noise when in reality this is data that become stored in your unconscious mind. The film Big Data gives a visual account of how much data streaming has impacted society both negatively and positively through the use of data analysis. Data has taken away the ability to remain anonymous and has also sparked a decline in human interpersonal skills. However, Data also has allowed humanity to collect new information providing new solutions to world issues. The film Big Data is able to

In each of the discussions, we were confronted with the ethicality of people or processes. Prior to the advent of wide spread information technology, these situations would have been more easily addressed, categorized, and concealed. This technology has allowed us to share information around the world, but it has also released information beyond our ability to control it. Now our privacy, property, quality of life, work and personal lives are vulnerable because of inadequate laws and unethical entities.

If a casual user of the internet were to Google a search for the word “privacy” as of June 2015, there would be close to 2 billion hits. Discussions of privacy, piracy and internet breaches are everywhere. The numerous Google hits show there is nearly universal agreement that (1) we have less privacy and more information than we used to, and (2) this is bad.Information itself is, of course, not bad, but as we have witnessed recently, even personnel record maintained by the United States government are subject to unethical hacking by all sorts of unscrupulous individuals and governments. Clearly, privacy is something that a great many people and businesses are concerned about. Whilenew information technologies (IT) have created the possibility of making lives easier or better, new IT has also created new conflicts with our existing business and personal norms, and laws and our traditional ethical principles. IT has even caused the creation of a new field“Information Systems Ethics” to cover these changes ( ).

On the pro side of the debate we find a lot of the most powerful tech companies and research firms up against regulatory agencies and civil rights advocates. Proponents argue that aggregate data collection is harmless, makes our live easier, and is not invasive. Critics argue that the aggregate collection and manipulation of personal data for corporate use is akin to the big brother analogies and use terms like “psychological warfare.” Proponents argue it is the ‘currency of the digital economy.’ The ‘digital economy’ referred to is already highly privatized, with the news media, tech companies, US Federal Government, and increasingly politicians themselves are among many players that benefit from aggregate data collection.

Phishing can also be accomplished by sending e-mails to unsuspecting users. These e-mails have malware installed and upon opening them, steals information. Some The end user does not have the infrastructure to ensure data flows fluently and privately among billions of other typical users trying to do the same. The management of data has been left to companies that provide such services with a specialization in controlling super computers that manage the grid of Internet connection in a relative area. These companies have data storage systems and satellites that enable billions of users to interconnect. This paper seeks to delve into the ethical issues management of data brings. Who has the right to access this data? To whom does this information belong? Does the business of managing data give the responsibility to monitor its application? When technology started influencing business enterprises, the positive outcome was felt instantly (George, 2007). Business became easier and efficient. When a company is installing a Human Resource or payroll system, the service providers of this system would need access to all the records of the company to facilitate its assimilation. This data may include personal information of clients and employees. Do these

The most important and significant challenge in the big data is to preserve privacy information of the customers, employees, and the organizations. It is very sensitive and includes conceptual, technical as well as legal significance. Any collected information about a person, when combined with other sets of data, can lead to the finding of persons secret and private information. “ As big data expands the sources of data it can use, the trustworthiness of each data source needs to be verified, and techniques should be explored to identify maliciously inserted data” (Jaseena K.U. Julie M. David). Big data gives us a significant opportunity in the field of national security, a breakthrough of diseases, medical researchers, marketing and business analysis, urban planning, and so on. But these exceptional advantages of big data are also restricted by the privacy concerns and the data protection. On the other side, privacy is a huge concern. Critical pieces of information of users are collected and used in furtherance to add value for any businesses. This is done by exploiting the insight in their personal information, and in most of the cases, users are totally unaware of it. The user might not want to share his/ her information. But, it is already being known to the data owner without the consent or even knowledge of it to the user. “ Unauthorized release of information, unauthorized modification of information and denial of resources are the three categories of security

Did you know that you have an online profile? No; not just a Facebook profile or Instagram profile, but rather a very detailed dossier, with information including your full name, age, gender, address, occupation, income, phone number, IP address, hobbies, interests, physical and mental health issues, places you frequent, social media accounts, and much much more. Surprised yet? That 's just the start. With the rise of newer, more portable technology, the internet has rapidly started to play a very crucial part in our everyday lives; we can search where the nearest coffee shop is, buy and sell things, message friends, share thoughts, pictures, and videos, watch movies, play games, browse forums- the possibilities are nearly endless, and it is all at our fingertips; however there is a catch... Your every move is being tracked by data brokers, and nothing is sacred. Just by a few clicks, a personal profile, or dossier, can be built up, and sold for money, behind your back, and without your permission. With Edward Snowden exposing the NSA 's data logging technology in June 2013, the debate on internet privacy has been brought into the light, and many provoking questions have arisen. Is it right to let companies take your data without your permission? Should they legally have to tell you? Is this a violation of the 4th amendment? Should you have the right to opt-out? Is your