Ethical Issues Concerning Protection and Privacy of Data - Case Study Example

Case Study: Handling of Ethical Issues at Path Case Study: Handling of Ethical Issues at Path Ethical Issues Concerning Protectionand Privacy of Data Introduction Privacy is one of the very vital and important part of information technology and digital media. It is because of this that is an extremely urgent issue. Most of the time people make complains and protest about their privacy having been violated. However, it is not the act that involves the sharing of their information that they really care about, but the sharing of information in an improper way since it is considered inappropriate. It is mainly because a large number of people understand that sharing of their private information is an important part of social life. It is normally argued that privacy concerns should not only be based on the concern about the control of personal information only. Instead, according to Nissenbaum (2013), privacy concerns should require that information should be distributed and protected according to the norms that govern the various and distinct social contexts. These include schools, healthcare centers, and the workplace or even between family and friends (Bezuidenhout, 2013). Ethical Issues on Privacy at Path As such, there are a number of guidelines that are put into place to ensure that data is well protected and kept as private as it should. They are mainly concerned with the provision of information regarding the kind of personal data that should be used and stored within the framework allowed by research. Path, which is a social networking app found itself in a kind of controversy that was related to its privacy settings. It took place after a blogger who is based in Singapore reported a case where the app collected all the information possessed by its users. These included their contacts, lists, without having the permission of the users. It was discovered that this unencrypted information was transferred and trascripted to the servers owned by Path. It was again stored in an unencrypted manner once they got to the Path’s servers. In this case, therefore, the main ethical concern in which Path was involved was not the use of their user information but the lack of giving them prior information about it. This may have later created some doubt about how appropriate or proper their use was. With this, the only difference that the top management at Path would have done was to let the users aware before they could download and use their private information. The controversial privacy concern issue The highlight on the issue of privacy concern by path generated a great deal of negative reaction from their users. This was only a day after the initial reaction of the Path founder to the blogger. It also raised a lot of coverage from the media. It is subsequent to this raised publicity and the risk of losing available and potential clients that the company’s CEO decided to take a more serious step in relation to the privacy concern issue. They additionally decided to make more amendments on the related sectors besides the privacy sector. It is with this recent controversy that is related to Path that a lot of questions have been raised about the best practices and privacy concerns of developers. This is in relation to the users of a number of available apps. Most of them are worried whether the users who apply iOS devices in particular are allowed to let their guard down when they need to install the apps related to social networking. This is, however, not necessary. It is easy for the addresses of IOS users to be copied and used by apps that deal with the same kind of data as well as the companies that help in the development of these apps. These can at times be used for purposes that neither are nor expected by the users or other internet users. Handling of the Ethical Concern by the CEO at path During the initial time, the founder of Path responded to the blogger by indicating that the address book is usually uploaded to the server as a away to ensure that the user can find and connect with their friends and family in a quick and effective way on path. In addition, they are easily able to notify them when they have either some of their friends or family join Path. This was the response provided in the effort to prove that the actions were taken in the best interest of the industry (Bezuidenhout, 2013). After a lot of publicity raised by the issue from both the users and media personality, the CEO of the company Morin took a bolder step of apologizing for the practice of the company. According to the Los Angeles times the chief executive and co-founder of Path offered his apology on behalf of the company. This was done on the startup blog of San Francisco. The apology was then followed by the quick deletion of all user information and the collection of new user data that was later updated on the iOS. The company also gave a promise to their users that they would handle and use their data in a more transparent way from that time on. This was in relation to both the collection and use of their information. Analysis Although the explanation provided by the founder of path may have sounded logical as a reason why path used the information of its users without their permission; it still does not meet the ethical standards required. This is because although it was required to make their work with that of their friends and family easier they should have unencrypted it and used it in a different form from that which had been used by the initial user. In addition, they should have sort the consent of the user to determine whether they were comfortable with the arrangement or if they thought it beneficial for their information to be used in the communication with their friends and family (Schrader, Kristin & Westra, 1997). It was good enough that the chief executive at the company issued an apology through the blog. However, it was more important that the users are given an opportunity to change their privacy settings. With this, they are assured that the provided information will no longer be used without their approval and permission. This was also done in the correct way through the measure taken by the company to delete all their user information. New information was then collected and updated on the iOS. Although this was an appropriate step, it was still appropriate that they provide their users with the assurance that their newly updated data and information would not be used without their permission either as a best practice for the company of for any other purpose. It is mainly because since the privacy concerns and criticisms regarding Path also spilled to the Apple platform since its app unlike that of Android was not developed to force the developers of app in the effort to notify users before they can download and accessing the contact list of the users (Raiku, 2013). However, at that particular time the Path’s management did not heed to the guidelines of apple as they had issued in their instructions. As developers of the app, they did not transmit data about the users with their permission or by first informing them. In this sense, it was a wrong move since path appeared to have ignored this instruction and guidelines yet it was still operating under the Apple app store (Baase, 2008). The fact that Path’s top management gave a prompt and rapid response was highly praised by most of the journalists and bloggers. In addition, the CEO of the company was able to realize fast enough the importance of dealing appropriately with the situation before it could reach FTC. With this, they were in a position to avoid hefty fines and charges since during the investigations; they had been able to correct most of the related problems. Moreover, the company also took another appropriate step by agreeing to pay the legal fines and compensation for the charges made owing to the violation of the Children’s Privacy Protection Act. Although they had made a bad decision at the beginning of the controversy, the CEO was able to realize it immediately hence the ability to make the necessary corrections. It was also a good step that Path was able to conform to most of the rules and regulations that were directed towards them by the relevant bodies (Raiku, 2013). Impact of the ethical concern issue related to Path The lack of maintenance of privacy and protection of data and information especially for users of different app sites can lead to serious effects that need to be prevented before the situation gets out of hand. This is clearly seen in the case of Path. In respect to the controversy that the company recently encountered, it gained an echo all over to Washington DC. At this point the legislators required to be given more information from Apple. This was to be on the platform upon which it operates as well as its overall practice regarding the developers of apps. In addition, their implications for consumer privacy were also to be clearly highlighted. At times, it may warrant a company to shut down and delete a large number of accounts in case most of the users no longer feel secure to work with the apps company. Instead of letting the privacy issues reach all this extensive measures it is similarly to the case of path imperative for the company to take prompt and drastic measures to address the situation immediately it is brought up. This is most appropriate through the issuance of an appropriate response that is likely to satisfy the trust of the users and the general community hence making it possible to restore their trust in the apps company (Raiku, 2013). Relevant Action There are a number of guidelines and procedure that if used by the executives and managers in social networking can be really helpful in the avoidance of unnecessary controversy. They include the ability to be creative and innovative with information as was indicated by Morin. He highlighted this as one of the important aspects in social networking. However, he also highlighted that the most important thing is for the tech industry as an entire entity to ensure that it works with a maximum level of transparency (Baase, 2008). There should be a basic distinction between public and private information while informing many of the current privacy policies. They should be more obscure than they are easy to clarify. In essence the contemporary information system should only create alarm when they act without any regard for social norms and values hence tend to make the fabric of social life weaker (Raiku, 2013). Final Amendment The Path Company was faced with many other situations that related to the controversial nature of their use of user private information. However, despite all these, they were able to make clearance with most of the concerned parties. Subsequently, Path made an announcement on how it had reached a conclusive settlement with the Federal Trade Commission; a body which had been previously investigating the practices of the company. The company faced an additional charge which included the violation of the Children’s online privacy protection Act. Because of this, they were able to get into an agreement that saw them pay a fine of $800,000. They were also forced to delete about 3,000 accounts and were subjected to the submission of privacy audits each year for the next 20 years. On the other hand, as the CEO at the path Company noted, such incidences are extremely important in revealing the problems present in the account verification system. Most of the time, they may experience unrealized problems since the companies tend to put more focus on the process of innovation and creativity (Raiku, 2013). Conclusion There has been the increased realization that many apps are currently downloading the information of their users without their permission. They have been found to be downloading the information of the users without notifying them. These are in turn used for other purposes that are even different from those mentioned by the companies. It is therefore for this reason that the necessary measures should be taken to ensure that user information is kept as confidential and private as they should remain. Thus, it is important for these companies to be cautioned against the use of user information without their permission despite the viability and logic behind their explanations. It is important to consider that mistakes may be made at the initial steps once the issue has been realized and raised from varied sources. However, it is the role of the chief executives and the top managers in the concerned organization tyo find the best solution towards correcting the mistakes and solving the situation at hand in the best possible way. References Nissenbaum, Helen Fay. (2010). Privacy in context : technology, policy, and the integrity of social life. Stanford, California: Stanford Law Books Bezuidenhout, Louise. (2013). Data Sharing and Dual-Use Issues. Journal Science and Engineering Ethics, 19(1): pp. 83-92. Raiku, Irina. (2013). Clicking Through to the Ethics of Social Media Terms of Service: Three Case Studies. Retrieved 19 February 2014 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/technology/internet/terms-of service.html Baase, Sara. (2008). A gift of fire: social, legal, and ethical issues for computing and the Internet. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Shrader-Frechette, Kristin Sharon, & Westra Laura. (1997). Technology and values. Lanham, Md. 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