Question

Is it ethical to for companies to mine and sell people’s personal information? Should it be legal? What personal data are you willing to give away? Should companies be allowed to self-regulate or should there be stronger federal data protection laws? Please explain your answer using at least two examples of what may be covered by regulations.

Answer 1

>> One of the great advantages of the computer is that it provides such easy access to data, through powerful search facilities, ease of communication, and sophisticated analysis capabilities. When the data is sensitive and personal, however, this can lead to serious abuse, because it opens the way for the data to be used for purposes quite different from its intended use. This can happen for a number of reasons. The rules governing who can use the data and for what purpose may not be clear or restrictive enough to protect the intentions and interests of the subjects. Or those who control the data may not enforce the rules. Or they may not have sufficient control over who accesses the data. 1 Whatever the reason, this can lead to severe problems.
>> Potential employers, for example, have a great interest in the medical, financial and criminal records of applicants. They often request and receive such information. A congressional survey in 1978, for instance, found that 20 percent of the criminal history records given out by the states went to private corporations and government agencies not involved in criminal justice. 2 Employers can also obtain credit records, medical and insurance records, and histories of workers' compensation claims. 3 If they are willing to pay investigative services that operate outside the law, they can also get bank records, credit card charges, and IRS tax records, among others.
>> In addition employers can often gain access to employees' and applicants' profiles on social media, including photos, comments, histories and lists of associates, either because the subject did not make them private or because someone who had access made them available. Some of this information, though it may seem innocent enough in context, such as pictures taken at a party, can compromise the subject's professional identity.
>>Marketers have an immense appetite for personal information too. They use collective data, along with sophisticated statistical analysis techniques and psychological models, to predict peoples' purchasing preferences and behavior and to identify those factors that most strongly influence consumers' loyalty and choices. 6 They then combine this intelligence with detailed information on specific individuals and subgroups of consumers to try to engage them and influence their buying decisions
>> The heavy reliance on electronic communication also leads to greater possibilities for outsiders to tap into sensitive personal information. One spectacular example of this abuse is the British phone hacking scandal, where it was revealed that reporters at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World had been accessing the voice mails and phone records of hundreds of subjects, including members of the Royal Family, and using the very personal information thus gained in published stories. Those charged claimed this was routine practice among the British tabloids.
What is data protection?
>> Personal data is any information relating to you, whether it relates to your private, professional, or public life. In the online environment, where vast amounts of personal data are shared and transferred around the globe instantaneously, it is increasingly difficult for people to maintain control of their personal information. This is where data protection comes in
>> Governments also have a security interest in ensuring the protection of personal data. In 2015, criminals stole 21.5 million records from the US Office of Personnel Management that contained the highly sensitive personal data of federal employees and their family members. This type of attack is happening more frequently across the globe, and countries must take action to better protect individuals’ information.
Why do we need data protection laws?
There are two main reasons that governments should pursue comprehensive data protection frameworks:
>> Laws need to be updated to address today’s reality. Ever since the internet was created, people have been sharing more and more of their personal information online. In many countries, privacy rules exist and remain important to help protect people’s information and human rights, but they are not adapted to suit the challenges of today’s connected world.Corporate co- and self-regulation is not working to protect our data. Around the world, companies and other entities that collect people’s data have long advocated for regulation of privacy and data protection not through binding frameworks but rather through self- or co-regulation mechanisms that offer them greater flexibility. However, despite several attempts, we have yet to see examples of non-binding regimes that are positive for users’ rights.