Author: Christopher Wilson
Publisher: Deloitte. Insights
Publication Year: 2019
Summary: The following article discusses how businesses are sometimes so concerned about solving issues with data that they ignore the new issues that arise from even using data. This article makes an interesting point that the definition of ethics related words is changing in a data context. One such listed example is privacy, which is no longer about intentionally shared or withheld information, it is now a transaction in return for accesses to online services. Wilson also introduces concepts such as “data creep”, where businesses use data without an actual goal in mind. The hype of data solutions causes them to create ideas to solve, which makes it easy to overlook the ethical issues behind those potential projects. Wilson also says that chief data officers should prioritize ethics processes over solutions; this allows an adaptable framework for all employees to follow from start to finish, rather than potential band-aid fixes to individual problems. Data safeguards can be relational (interpersonal aspects such as user-friendly privacy settings), technical (solutions like data security), design (making materials accessible for all types of people), and regulatory (structural oversight and adherence to frameworks).