Paper details:
Students must write about the legal, ethical, privacy, and security considerations of a particular technology service(s), product(s), or case of the team’s choice. Students should select a topic that is narrow enough to enable them to go into detailed discussion and analysis (avoid overly broad topics). Students will work in teams of 3-4 people to write a research paper of 15-20 double-spaced pages, which must include an abstract and an annotated bibliography (an annotated bibliography includes a brief summary of each of the sources).
Misuse of Personal Information One of the primary ethical dilemmas in our technologically empowered age revolves around how businesses use personal information. As we browse internet sites, make online purchases, enter our information on websites, engage with different businesses online and participate in social media, we are constantly providing personal details. Companies often gather information to hyper-personalize our online experiences, but to what extent is that information actually impeding our right to privacy?
Personal information is the new gold, as the saying goes. We have commoditized data because of the value it provides to businesses attempting to reach their consumer base. But when does it go too far? For businesses, it’s extremely valuable to know what kind of products are being searched for and what type of content people are consuming the most.
For political figures, it’s important to know what kind of social or legal issues are getting the most attention. These valuable data points are often exploited so that businesses or entities can make money or advance their goals. Facebook in particular has come under fire several times over the years for selling personal data it gathers on its platform.