Managing data ethically?

Overview

Data and ethics… are they mutually exclusive or just ignored by big tech corporations… Well, hello and welcome back to the weekly series of updates, in this episode I will talk about my test and what I have done to try and understand it better. As you probably know from reading the other post first (web dev and last weeks), you would know that this post will be about the test, so I hope you're as excited as me.

What was completed

So apparently in class we have been looking at the ethical implications of data usage. I remember doing this some time ago, but not that recently. I know that all (most but should be all) users want their data stored in a responsible manner. This could include not selling the data, even though the saying “if your not paying, your the product” suggests that the data can be sold, it still isn’t the nicest of feelings to know that. I also remember Cambridge Analytica and how that abused the data that was given to them.

Like I said in web dev post, there are some key points to consider. I won’t list them all again, but these ones are the important ones (because they were lacking last time):

• What are the societal impacts if the statement is accepted or refuted?
• What are the ethical implications if the statement is accepted or refuted?
• What are the long term effects if the statement is accepted or refuted?

Now, I hope I will be sure to add discussion to these in my response. I only have the unseen prompt and the topic of ethical data. This means that I need to find a way of talking about the issues that have occurred with data usage, this can be good things like better medical diagnoses from the history of you as individual and others but can be bad things like abuse of data such as Cambridge Analytica. I also think that I need to not only mention them but make it clear that I am trying to answer those points (as it is in the rubric).

Reflection

What are your next steps?

So, I have many steps that I need to in order to be most prepared for the test. The first thing I need to do is spend more time understanding the idea. This means doing research into ethics with data. With that done, I can create notes sheet probably with more research occurring at the same time. And then I will have profit? Overall, I feel mostly confident with this assessment task as I have done similar things before and just need to prove that I can do this to the teacher.

In your project, are you going to be ethical with the data?

My current project (hunger games similar thing) doesn’t really have any data to abuse. It is just going to be lots of stats, and they aren’t going to be modeled after humans (so nothing that I can extrapolate from that). However, the future ones that I will inevitably create I will try to be good and responsible. My web dev project, while not being targeted as an actual service, I still need to be good with storing that data.

In the test, what is the most important thing to do?

I told you what I plan to do in the lead up to the test, but you may wonder what about during the test. Well, after reviewing feedback from IT and other subjects =, I have realised that I need to spend time planning. I can’t just expect to be able to create a good response with a vague claim that tries to get extrapolated into multiple paragraphs. I also need to make use of my notes sheet by using evidence. After that check I should rubric and hope it is good!