Responding to Some Challenges Posed by the Re-identification of Anonymized Personal Data

In this paper, we examine a cluster of ethical controversies generated by the re-identification of anonymized personal data in the context of big data analytics, with particular attention to the implications for personal privacy. Our paper is organized into two main parts. Part One examines some ethical problems involving re-identification of personally identifiable information (PII) in large data sets. Part Two begins with a brief description of Moor and Weckert’s Dynamic Ethics (DE) and Nissenbaum’s Contextual Integrity (CI) Frameworks. We then investigate whether these frameworks, used together, can provide us with a more robust scheme for analyzing privacy concerns that arise in the re-identification process (as well as within the larger context of big data analytics). This paper does not specifically address re-identification-related privacy concerns that arise in the context of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Instead, we examine those issues in a separate work

Social Networking and the Perception of Privacy within the Millennial Generation

Has technology caused a generational divide between current college age users (Millennial Generation) who have no problems posting intimate details of their personal life on the Web and more traditional older users who seem to value privacy? This paper presents the results of a survey of 251 university students and follow-up focus groups on the topic of the perceptions of social networking and privacy. We will use Facebook as an example of social networking, and review attitudes about privacy and control over personal information among traditional and non-traditional college age users and light and heavy users of social networking sites

On Using Model For Downstream Responsibility

The authors identify features of software and the software development process that may contribute to the differences in the level of responsibility assigned to the software developers when they make their software available for others to use as a tool in building a second piece of software. They call this second use of the software downstream use

On the Responsibility for Uses of Downstream Software

In this paper we explore an issue that is different from whether developers are responsible for the direct impact of the software they write. We examine, instead, in what ways, and to what degree, developers are responsible for the way their software is used “downstream.” We review some key scholarship analyzing responsibility in computing ethics, including some recent work by Floridi. We use an adaptation of a mechanism developed by Floridi to argue that there are features of software that can be used as guides to better distinguish situations where a software developer might share in responsibility for the software’s downstream use from those in which the software developer likely does not share in that responsibility. We identify five such features and argue how they are useful in the model of responsibility that we develop. The features are: closeness to the hardware, risk, sensitivity of data, degree of control over or knowledge of the future population of users, and the nature of the software (general vs. special purpose)

Why We Should Have Seen That Coming: Comments on Microsoft’s Tay “Experiment,” and Wider Implications

In this paper we examine the case of Tay, the Microsoft AI chatbot that was launched in March, 2016. After less than 24 hours, Microsoft shut down the experiment because the chatbot was generating tweets that were judged to be inappropriate since they included racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic language. We contend that the case of Tay illustrates a problem with the very nature of learning software (LS is a term that describes any software that changes its program in response to its interactions) that interacts directly with the public, and the developer’s role and responsibility associated with it. We make the case that when LS interacts directly with people or indirectly via social media, the developer has additional ethical responsibilities beyond those of standard software. There is an additional burden of care

When AI Moves Downstream

After computing professionals design, develop, and deploy software, what is their responsibility for subsequent uses of that software “downstream” by others? Furthermore, does it matter ethically if the software in question is considered to be artificial intelligent (AI)? The authors have previously developed a model to explore downstream accountability, called the Software Responsibility Attribution System (SRAS). In this paper, we explore three recent publications relevant to downstream accountability, and focus particularly on examples of AI software. Based on our understanding of the three papers, we suggest refinements of SRAS

Teaching Ethical and Social Issues in CS1 and CS2

The discussion of whether ethical and social issues of computing should be explored in undergraduate computer science education has resulted in most academic institutions and educators agreeing that they are important topics that must be included. Further support has been provided by Curricula \u2791 [16], the CSAC/CSAB accreditation [2] and ImpactCS [12]. Many books [7, 8, 9, 10] and papers [6, 14] have discussed what topics should be covered and what techniques can be used either in a dedicated course or in modules across the curriculum. However, explicit detailed examples that have worked successfully, particularly in lower level computer science courses, are still rare. This paper will discuss several examples that have been successfully used in CS1 and CS2 at a medium-sized university

Online Communities, Democratic Ideals, and the Digital Divide

We examine some pros and cons of online communities with respect to two main questions: (1) Do online communities promote democracy and democratic ideals? and (2) What are the implications of online communities for information justice and the digital divide? The first part of the chapter will examine online communities in general and will attempt to define what we mean by “community” and more precisely, “online communities.” It will then examine ways of building online communities, that is, what brings people together online. The second part of the chapter will look at the positive and negative contributions of online communities in light of democratic ideals and will address the issue of information justice and the digital divide. In examining these questions, we also consider the effects of the Internet for community life at both the local and global levels

INTERNET AND PRODUCTIVITY: ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES ON WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR

The abuse of the Internet is real problem for organizations, with real productivity ramifications and it shows no sign of letting up. “The International Data Corp. estimated that 30 % to 40 % of employee Internet use isn't work related. And according to Nielsen/NetRatings, 92 % of online stock trading occurs from the workplace during work hours and 46 % of online holiday shopping takes place at work ” [Schweitzer,2004]. Part One of this paper will examine the effect of the Internet on employee behavior in the workplace and its effect on productivity. The analysis will focus on issues of monitoring and privacy, employer/employee relationships and trust, behavioral expectations and managerial control. Part Two (section 3) will present and analyze the research of forty organizations including corporate, non-profit and academic institutions in order to gain a perspective across industries on company policy and practices regarding employee use of the Internet as it relates to productivity. Throughout the paper, we will examine the ethical issue of controlling employee behavior in the workplace