Ethical Issues in Social Media Mining

Unobtrusive 'data-scraping' methods 'Big data', e.g. web searches, browsing activity, tweets, etc. People may not be aware of the extent of logging of their online behaviours Online behaviours leave permanent traces in ways not typical offline How do researchers/developers approach use of such data? Claire Hewson, Ethics Issues in Internet-mediated Research

Confidentiality, anonymity Enhanced traceability of data, dissemination implications, use of quotes Other data leakage risks, e.g. email Traces on personal computing equipment Sensitivity of data is a factor associated with levels of risk of harm Researchers/developers should carefully assess risks, and perhaps inform participants of these risks Claire Hewson, Ethics Issues in Internet-mediated Research

Ethical Issues Ethics: A branch of philosophy that deals with what is considered to be right and wrong A Code of Ethics is a collection of principles that are intended to guide decision making by members of an organization Turban, Rainer and Potter, “Introduction to Information Systems”

The Four Categories of Ethical Issues Privacy Issues involves collecting, storing and disseminating information about individuals Accuracy Issues involves the authenticity, fidelity and accuracy of information that is collected and processed Property Issues involves the ownership and value of information Accessibility Issues revolve around who should have access to information and whether they should have to pay for this access Turban, Rainer and Potter, “Introduction to Information Systems”

What is ethic? Fairness, justice, equity, honesty, trustworthiness & equality Subjective Legal B C Immoral Moral A D Illegal

Ethical vs. Legal Issues Sometimes have a definitive answer Determination is made by others (not you) Ethical issues You determine your course of action The law doesn’t make it “right” Being “right” doesn’t make it legal Jim Davis, “Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security”

Views on Ethical Behavior In every job situation, we are all eventually faced with an ethical dilemma How will you react? How will you determine what the “right” course of action is? What are you willing to risk to do the “right thing”? How far are you willing to bend? And when? Examples: Should companies collect and/or sell customer data? Should IT specialists monitor and report employee computer use? Should you act on information you inadvertently see due to having administrator privileges? Jim Davis, “Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security”

Framework for Ethics What motivates us to view issues a certain way? Are we consistent in the way we approach ethical issues? How do we resolve conflicts in approach? Two basic camps: consequence-based and rule-based Richard Spinello, “Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics”

Consequence-Based Ethics Priority is given to choices that lead to a “good” outcome (consequence) The outcome outweighs the method Egoism: the “right choice” benefits self Utilitarianism: the “right choice” benefits the interests of others Jim Davis, “Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security”

Rule-Based Ethics Priority is given to following the rules without undue regard to the outcome Rules are often thought to codify principles like truthfulness, right to freedom, justice, etc. Stress fidelity to a sense of duty and principle (“never tell a lie”) Exist for the benefit of society and should be followed Jim Davis, “Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security”

Privacy Issues Many ethical issues (and legal issues) in security seem to be in the domain of the individual’s right to privacy verses the greater good of a larger entity (a company, society, etc.) Examples: tracking employee computer use, crowd surveillance, managing customer profiles, tracking travel with a national ID card, location tracking, …. A key concept in sorting this out is a person’s expectation of privacy Jim Davis, “Legal and Ethical Issues in Computer Security”

Protecting Privacy Privacy. The right to be left alone and to be free of unreasonable personal intrusions Two rules have been followed fairly closely in past court decision in many countries: The right of privacy is not absolute Privacy must be balanced against the needs of society The public’s right to know is superior to the individual’s right of privacy Turban, Rainer and Potter, “Introduction to Information Systems”

Protecting Privacy Electronic Surveillance. The tracking of people‘s activities, online or offline, with the aid of computers Personal Information in Databases. Information about individuals is being kept in many databases banks, utilities co., govt. agencies, … etc. the most visible locations are credit-reporting agencies International Aspects of Privacy. Privacy issues that international organizations and governments face when information spans countries and jurisdictions Turban, Rainer and Potter, “Introduction to Information Systems”

Ethics of Data Mining Combining information via data warehousing could violate Privacy Act Must tell people how their information will be used when the data is obtained Data mining raises ethical issues mainly during application of results Using ethnicity as a factor in loan approval decisions Screening job applications based on age or sex (where not directly relevant) Declining insurance coverage based on neighbourhood if this is related to race (“red-lining” is illegal in much of the US) Whether something is ethical depends on the application E.g. probably ethical to use ethnicity to diagnose and choose treatments for a medical problem, but not to decline medical insurance

Ethics issues to consider Public-private domain distinction Confidentiality Copyright Consent; withdrawal; debrief Levels of control Disruption of social structures Claire Hewson, Ethics Issues in Internet-mediated Research

Ethical principles Integrity: Act with honesty in all situation Trust: Build trust in all stakeholder relationships Accountability: Accept responsibility for all decisions Transparency: Maintain open and truthful communications Fairness: Engage in fair competition and create equitable and just relationships Respect: Honor the rights, freedoms, views, and property of others Rule of Law: Comply with the spirit and intent of laws and regulations Viability: Create long-term value for all relevant stakeholders Daniel Fund

Examples of ethical dilemma in social media? Ethical boundaries and complexities Social Media Ethical Codes of Conduct