Why does (data) ethics matter?

As a society, at one point or another, most of us wonder about and are awestruck by how quickly the technologies around us are advancing. Whether we like it or not, we are directly or indirectly forced to adopt these changes to be able to survive through our daily lives. One may also wonder what information about themselves and one’s daily lives is being put out there, knowingly or unknowingly, and whose hands this information is going to. To address these questions, we need to look at and understand how Data and Ethics are related and how this relation can help us moving forward.

In the simplest of words, data is any bit of factual information. Simply by existing in this modern world, we are generating data about ourselves every day. The amount of data that is being generated is increasing exponentially with every passing second. The more I think about it, read about it and observe it, the more it makes me feel un-easy or vulnerable. We all are aware that the apps, gadgets or facilities we use are constantly collecting data about us. Our smartphone reminding us to sleep on time based on when we generally stop using our phone every night is just one example. This data about our sleeping pattern can be used in any way; it can be used by a health provider to determine whether this pattern can be an indicator of any past, present or future health conditions. In the same way, a health insurance provider can use that data to determine what premium they should be charging us. If this data about our sleeping patterns falls in the hands of a local criminal, they may even use is to determine what time you will be well asleep and would offer least resistance if they were to break into your house. In this simple example one can see how the same data, depending on its handling, can be used for the good, the bad and the ugly.

So far, we have looked at only one piece of information about only one individual and we have already identified some ethical concerns. Now assume that about one billion people use a smart phone and assume that all their phones have collected data about their sleeping patterns. That data can be used in any way, the possibilities are limitless. That clearly shows us how important it is to consider ethics when we deal with data.

This brings us to the question about ethics. There are many theories related to ethics and the most common ones are virtue ethics, social contract, deontology, and consequentialism. They each have their own implications and criticisms with regards to the real-world issues. None of them are exhaustive in terms of providing guidance for dealing with the scenarios that we are faced with in our daily lives. I understand being ‘ethical’ as being fair, transparent and working towards collective good to the best of our efforts. One way of explaining the relation between data and ethics in a very broad sense is through the below diagram.

The most basic form of a Data Supply Chain can be thought of in stages. There is a collection stage, a processing stage and a use and reuse stage. Now we will try to look at how an ethical approach in all three stages can make a positive impact and help us all sleep a little bit better.

Data Collection: In this stage the data that has been disclosed by individuals or groups, the data that already exists and further data that can be derived from the pre-existing data is collected and stored. Applying an ethical approach to data collection means that the purpose of collection is clearly stated, individuals or groups whose data is being collected must consent (Types of consent: informed consent, bundled consent, and dynamic consent) to it, only specific sets of data are collected, and it should be stored in the most secure way possible. If the principles of ethics are ignored, anyone can collect any information about anyone and use it in any way and potentially cause harm. Consider the example that we discussed above, regarding a smart phone collecting data about our sleeping patterns. The phone manufacturer must ask for consent from users before collecting any data. The purpose of the collection and the specific information that is being collected must be made as clear as possible.

Data Processing: This stage involves data aggregation and analysis. It is where we make sense of the data that has been collected. It is very difficult to extract every possible form of information from a set of data, but it is also un-scientific if we do not try to. This means that apart from finding results that the data analysts intended to, they can also find information which they may not have accounted for initially. How they deal with that new information determines whether they are being ethical or not.

We have seen that the sleeping patterns of individuals can be determined by looking at the data regarding phone usage. The manufacturer may have taken our consent to gather ‘performance’ data to make the phone better and they may actually use to make the performance better, but that data can also show them information about our sleeping patterns from it. It is possible that the manufacturer was not aware of or had not considered what they may find initially but that does not mean that they do not disclose what they have discovered subsequently if they wish to remain an ethical business.

Data Use and Reuse: In this stage, the processed data is used for whichever purpose it was intended for or more. Once data has been collected, analysed and used its utility does not deplete. In fact, my understanding is that its utility can never be depleted even though we may have run out of ideas on how to use it. The user of that data does not have to be the same entity who collected/processed it. For instance, the population census data collected by the government can also be used by a business operator to determine the marketing strategy required for a particular socio-economic group since the data is public. The same applies to private data, one entity can also sell/share data with another entity. It is how that transaction happens determines if its ethical or unethical.

Looking back at the example about the sleeping pattern data that I have been shredding in this piece, the phone manufacturer can use/reuse or sell for reuse in various ways. Let us look at some of the options the manufacturer has; use the data to push out phone updates at night to improve performance, reuse the data to determine the best time to advertise us regarding new products and features, sell the data to another commercial entity like a private health care provider or a pharmaceutical company so that they can advertise their own products and services. If the phone manufacturer reuses this data or shares/sells it without our consent to clear terms or without giving us the option to opt out of it, then, this may be unethical.

Although there are regulations like General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that protect us from unethical practices in relation to data, but they do not provide guidelines for each and every scenario that may arise. Individuals, corporations, and governments can always find loopholes to get around these guidelines and justify their actions. The speed at which the data and analytical tools are being generated is exponentially more than the speed at which laws, regulations and generally accepted ethical practices are being developed and adopted. In my opinion the best way moving forward is to educate ourselves as much as possible about what is being done with our data and take an active part in reforming the current and future ethical practices.

I know that the above is a lot to take in but let us hope you do not lose your sleep over it!