Describe four ethical issues that arise when storing electronic information about individuals.
Privacy: When storing electronic data about people, one of the main ethical problems is privacy. Individuals have a right to privacy, and the electronic storage of personal data may violate that right. For example, identity theft, financial fraud, and other types of malicious activities can happen from the electronic storage and access of personal data. These can include information such as social security numbers, emails, addresses, and credit card information.
Security: The safety of electronic data is another ethical concern. Information that is stored electronically is affected by acts like theft, hacking, and other types of cybercrime. The company that stores the data is in charge of making sure that certain security measures are strong enough and in place to safeguard the data of their consumers or target audience. Neglecting to protect electronic data can produce serious consequences for companies. Some examples are losing the trust of customers, harming the organization’s reputation, and legal action from upset stakeholders, consumers or other business partners.
Accuracy: There may be issues with accuracy with electronic information. The people involved may suffer consequences due to the information being outdated, inaccurate, or not stored properly. For example, if a company uses inaccurate records of a person’s medical history, the person could get improper medical care that is harmful to their health, in some situations they could also die. Another example is banking, if someone needs to take out a loan but are denied because the banks records show another person with a lower credit score.
Ownership: The ownership of electronic information is another moral problem. The people that put their trust in a service or company might believe that their private information is being used without their permission, and this could result in them losing faith in the company that is storing the data. Organizations must make sure that consumers have control over their data and be open about how they are using and storing the information. People must have the option to request a copy of the information that is being stored about them or to have their data deleted if they choose to do so.