Describe four ethical issues that arise when storing electronic information about individuals.
When storing electronic information about individuals many issues may arise. These issues may arise due to the involvement of handling sensitive data that can affect individuals’ privacy, autonomy, and rights.
The first potential issue I will discuss is privacy. Storing electronic information about individuals opens the possibility of unauthorized access or misuse of personal information. Both of these actions are considered privacy violations. Ethical issues arise regarding the collection, storage, and sharing of personal information.
The second potential issue I will discuss is security. When storing individuals’ information electronically, ensuring the security is essential to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and cyberattacks. Ethical issues arise regarding the responsibility of organizations and individuals to implement security measures to protect sensitive data from cyber attacks. Failure to do so can result in identity theft, financial fraud, reputational damage, and many more issues.
Another potential issue is the accuracy and integrity of stored electronic data. Ethical issues arise when data is inaccurate, manipulated, or tampered with. This can lead to misinformation or unjust outcomes. Organizations storing electronic information have a responsibility to ensure data accuracy and integrity through proper data validation and verification. Ethical issues also arise regarding the transparency and accountability of data management practices to reduce the risk of data manipulation or corruption.
The final potential issue I will discuss is the data ownership and control of the stored electronic data. Ethical issues arise regarding who owns the data, who has access to the data, and who controls the information. Data sovereignty, consent, and data rights become main concerns regarding this issue.
In conclusion, in order to address these ethical issues principles such as privacy, security, transparency, accountability, and respect need to be carefully considered. Organizations and individuals must adhere to ethical guidelines when storing electronic information to reduce risks and uphold ethical standards.