Data Ethics: The Morality of Data Collection and Use

Have you ever received a credit card prequalification in the mail and thought, "How did they get my information?" In today's society our personal information is constantly being collected and shared, then used by businesses, governments, and other organizations. This should, and usually does, raise several ethical questions about how our data is being used and who has access to it. So, what is data ethics? Data ethics is the study of the moral implications of data collection, analysis, and its use. It is an important focus area, mainly to ensure that our data is used in a responsible and ethical way.

According to DAMA International, there are many discussions on the complexities of data ethics, but it can be simplified into a few core concepts: impact on people, potential for misuse, and economic value of data. From their concepts, several principles can be established. The following is a breakdown of some of the common principles relating to data ethics, which are blended from DAMA as well as other practices within the industry.

• Transparency: People should be aware of how their data is being collected and used.
• Respect: People should give their consent before their data is collected or used.
• Integrity: Data should only be collected and used for the purposes for which it was originally collected.
• Data minimization: Only the minimum amount of data necessary should be collected.
• Quality: Data should be accurate and up to date.
• Responsibility: Data should be protected from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
• Accountability: Organizations should be accountable for how they collect, use, and protect data.

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to data ethics is the lack of regulation. There is no global set of best practices, or frameworks, to follow. Different countries regulate data sharing practices in different ways. In recent years we've seen GDPR come into law in the European Union, but still nothing at the federal level in the United States. State government can put consumer privacy laws into practice, but with assumingly low data literacy levels in government, we might be waiting quite a while to have protections addressed.

How can we start to address concerns with data ethics? There are a number of different ways that we can start to tackle this, both from the personal and business side. First off, companies need to do a much better job all together. They need to be transparent with what data is collected and used. This means also getting consent from individuals that you want to collect this data for. Making it impossible for consumers to opt out of your data collection practices is no longer acceptable. As we continue to evolve as a society, we need to consider individuals rights to not share information that they don't want to or feel comfortable sharing. The majority of people that want to limit sharing is most often because of the lack of advanced practices that companies use to secure their data. If companies were held accountable for their actions, individuals may be more likely to give you more information.

What can you do to make sure you're aware of what data is being shared? Understand what information you are sharing and why. If you're prompted to share a Social Security Number to buy a bushel of peaches, then you may be dealing with someone out to steal your information and not to sell you an ingredient to your favorite fruit. Being aware of what is being collected and why is your first step to keeping yourself safe. And remember, you are able to limit data sharing by interacting with companies who give you the capability to limit sharing. Now, whether they actually limit this is based on their own data ethics practices.

Data ethics is an extremely important and complex topic. By understanding the moral principles of data ethics and the challenges of data ethics, we can help to ensure that our data is used in a responsible and ethical way. As data literacy levels rise, we will see an influx of questions being asked on data sharing and ensuring safe and thoughtful practices. Until then, make sure that you take measures into your own hands on how to protect your own information that may be at risk.

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