Personal information is constantly updated and stored electronically in multiple databases around the globe. Having so much information stored automatically can be incredibly convenient not only for authorized users but unfortunately for adversaries as well. Having this type of technology is not necessarily good or bad, but how the tool is used that concludes the ethics we value as a society.
An ethical issue that arises when storing information electronically is personal privacy. When personal information is exploited, it leaves an individual mentally scarred and bruised. Obtaining privacy gives a person space to be their complete self without fear of being judged. A lack of privacy can result in a shortage of creativity and innovation.
Another ethical issue surrounding privacy in the context of information stored electronically is possible harassment and discrimination. Since personal data can be exploited, adversaries can use the information to harass an individual online as well in the physical world. They can also target specific individuals based on certain factors such as race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age by unjustly discriminating.
An additional ethical issue that arises with storing information electronically is the risk of health and safety of individuals. Health organizations and hospitals across the country store their patients’ health information on a database. While continuity of care is the ideal goal for this convenience, so became the convenience for adversaries to cause real harm. The information stored on these systems is full of sensitive data. For example, these records include a person’s blood type, if that simple fact is altered in any way, devastating effects can result in threatening the health and safety of a individual.
The last but not the least ethical issue pertaining to this topic is the risk of financial fraud. Today the convenience of banking has never been easier. Most banks today offer their services via an application on your cellular device. With a few swipes of the thumb, you can transfer money from here to there. Again, convenience for you means convenience for adversaries to take advantage of. If a bank account is hacked, the account member could lose wealth as well as their information. Financial fraud is a big concern.
The ethical issue of protecting personal information is an ever-evolving conversation. When something new and innovative is created that seems to make life easier, there always seems to be an unintended consequence that follows. The risk associated with new technologies must have safeguards built into the framework to avoid ethical issues such as those listed above.