Privacy from an Ethical Perspective

This article argues that big data’s entrepreneurial potential is based not only on new technological developments that allow for the extraction of non-trivial, new insights out of existing data, but also on an ethical judgment that often remains implicit: namely the ethical judgment that those companies that generate these new insights can legitimately appropriate (the fruits of) these insights. As a result, the business model of big data companies is essentially founded on a libertarian-inspired ‘finders, keepers’ ethic. The article argues, next, that this presupposed ‘finder, keepers’ ethic is far from unproblematic and relies itself on multiple unconvincing assumptions. This leads to the conclusion that the conduct of companies working with big data might lack ethical justification.

Links

Big data, ethics, finders-keepers, justice, libertarianism, Personal data, Privacy

RIS

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Sax, M.
PY  - 0326
DA  - 2016-03-26
T1  - Big data: Finders keepers, losers weepers?
JO  - Ethics and Information Technology
VL  - 18
NV  - 1
SP  - 25-31
UR  - http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-016-9394-0
DO  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-016-9394-0
AB  - This article argues that big data’s entrepreneurial potential is based not only on new technological developments that allow for the extraction of non-trivial, new insights out of existing data, but also on an ethical judgment that often remains implicit: namely the ethical judgment that those companies that generate these new insights can legitimately appropriate (the fruits of) these insights. As a result, the business model of big data companies is essentially founded on a libertarian-inspired ‘finders, keepers’ ethic. The article argues, next, that this presupposed ‘finder, keepers’ ethic is far from unproblematic and relies itself on multiple unconvincing assumptions. This leads to the conclusion that the conduct of companies working with big data might lack ethical justification.
K1  - Big data
K1  - ethics
K1  - finders-keepers
K1  - justice
K1  - libertarianism
K1  - Personal data
K1  - Privacy
ER  -

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Bibtex

Article{Sax2016,
	title = {Big data: Finders keepers, losers weepers?},
	author = {Sax, M.},
	doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-016-9394-0},
	year = {0326},
	date = {2016-03-26},
	journal = {Ethics and Information Technology},
	volume = {18},
	number = {1},
	pages = {25-31},
	abstract = {This article argues that big data’s entrepreneurial potential is based not only on new technological developments that allow for the extraction of non-trivial, new insights out of existing data, but also on an ethical judgment that often remains implicit: namely the ethical judgment that those companies that generate these new insights can legitimately appropriate (the fruits of) these insights. As a result, the business model of big data companies is essentially founded on a libertarian-inspired ‘finders, keepers’ ethic. The article argues, next, that this presupposed ‘finder, keepers’ ethic is far from unproblematic and relies itself on multiple unconvincing assumptions. This leads to the conclusion that the conduct of companies working with big data might lack ethical justification.},
	keywords = {Big data, ethics, finders-keepers, justice, libertarianism, Personal data, Privacy},
}

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Merely Facilitating or Actively Stimulating Diverse Media Choices? Public Service Media at the Crossroad external link

Helberger, N.

International Journal of Communication, pp: 1324-1340, 2015

Abstract

Personalized recommendations provide new opportunities to engage with audiences and influence media choices. Should the public-service media use such algorithmic profiling and targeting to guide audiences and stimulate more diverse choices? And if they do, is this a brave new world we would like to live in? This article outlines new opportunities for the public-service media to fulfill their commitment to media diversity and highlights some of the ethical and normative considerations that will play a role. The article concludes with a call for a new body of “algorithmic media ethics.”

RIS

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Helberger, N.
PY  - 0507
DA  - 2015-05-07
T1  - Merely Facilitating or Actively Stimulating Diverse Media Choices? Public Service Media at the Crossroad
JO  - International Journal of Communication
SP  - 1324-1340
UR  - http://www.ivir.nl/publicaties/download/1549.pdf
AB  - Personalized recommendations provide new opportunities to engage with audiences and influence media choices. Should the public-service media use such algorithmic profiling and targeting to guide audiences and stimulate more diverse choices? And if they do, is this a brave new world we would like to live in? This article outlines new opportunities for the public-service media to fulfill their commitment to media diversity and highlights some of the ethical and normative considerations that will play a role. The article concludes with a call for a new body of “algorithmic media ethics.”
K1  - algorithm profiling
K1  - ethics
K1  - media diversity
K1  - Mediarecht
K1  - nudging
K1  - public service media
ER  -

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Bibtex

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