9/17/2023

Four ethical issues typically arise when storing electronic information about individuals.

1.Invasion of Privacy: One of the most important ethical problems is invasion of privacy. Electronic collection of personal information without consent violates the right to privacy. Whether it’s sensitive medical records, financial information, or even personal communications, the possibility of misuse and unauthorized access is always a threat. As the controllers of this data, we must maintain strict security measures to protect this sensitive information and respect individuals’ choice over their data.

2.Data security and breaches: The threat of data breaches is ever-present and raises serious ethical problems, and the mishandling or loss of electronic information can be devastating to individuals, leading to identity theft, fraud, and emotional distress.It can have a greatly negative impact. Ethical responsibilities include investing in strong cybersecurity measures, promptly disclosing breaches, and taking necessary steps to mitigate harm to affected individuals.

3. Identification algorithm: Algorithms that process electronic data can unintentionally perpetuate bias and discrimination. Whether in hiring practices, credit decisions, or the criminal justice system, if the data used to train algorithms is biased, the results can unfairly disadvantage certain groups. Ethical concerns arise when decisions that significantly impact an individual’s life are made based on data that may reflect historical biases and biases. Addressing this issue requires transparency, fairness, continuous monitoring and correcting algorithmic bias.

4. Data ownership and consent: Who owns the data, and under what conditions can it be shared or sold? These questions about data ownership and consent raise ethical issues. Individuals often do not fully understand the terms of use of their data, leading to misuse by companies and other organizations. Ethical practices should include clear and easy-to-understand data policies that give individuals more control over their data and enable them to provide informed consent to its use.

Source:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. “Privacy and Cyber Security.” Privacy and Cyber Security – Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, 12 Feb. 2015, www.priv.gc.ca/en/opc-actions-and-decisions/research/explore-privacy-research/2014/cs_201412/.