Ethics of Data for Sale



Ethics of Data for Sale

Questions

Do data brokers pose an ethical dilemma? Explain your answer.

Data or information brokers' dealers at private companies are those who collect as much data on citizens as they want on any asked money. Then they further sell it to other companies or agencies that are available. In the U.S., companies such as Choicepoint and USAData have records of nearly all U.S. citizens, which in addition contain names, addresses, social security numbers and driver's license information. They also have information on whether there is a person record in the courts, or engaged in any criminal record. Brokers pose an ethical dilemma because the information they share can be used without the consent of information owner. The issue of data sharing to inappropriate sources may occur and this fact is ignored by the information owners (Gandy, 1993).

What are the problems caused by the proliferation of data brokers?

Data brokers usually have no concern about their data subjects. They typically buy the data to sell it to other companies and agencies that are in need of it. Their role is to compile the information which is personal without individual's consent. They rather obtain information and sell otherwise provide from publicly available sources.

Due to unavailability of inexpensive data storage devices all areas of commerce has been affected by the problem of data proliferation. It has become very easy to throw away the data which has been used. A certain data is used for particular purpose once the data window of usability is passed it is dumped out. Such problems are likely to increase affects on profitability of businesses. It may also affect police and security forces, functioning of health services, national and local organizations and other organizations. In large organizations there are large networks of secondary and primary data storage. In such networks finding data is a similar problem whether it is hard copy data or electronic data (Hansotia, 1997).

What management, organization, and technology factors are responsible for these problems?

Starting with management factors one major responsibility which any management of a company would be liable is data protection. Customer's data is personal and should not be given to any unauthorized source without individual's consent. Organization's policies have to be as such that data cannot be leaked out from any kind of source. Organizations needs to make sure those data theft policies are implemented.

A privacy policy is intended to centralize the information delivered by a site on its compliance practices and data protection. It explains how therefore used this information, what are the texts that are respected and, possibly, what types of cookies are, such as cookies can be stored in the users' computers when they visit the site. U.S. companies, which are often accused of make light of the privacy of Internet users have at least taken this good habit. This has become a standard across the Atlantic later in France. At home, when a site has a privacy policy, it is rare ...