The case speaks about the European regulation for general data protection regulation. It is a set of regulations given to companies to protect EU citizen’s data. The main focus of the regulation is to hold companies accountable for data breaches and reporting to their customers.  The ethical tool that will be used to analyze this case is Confucianism, which discusses fulfilling the roles and staying on a path. The government has a role of political guidance, protecting individual rights, Diplomacy affairs, and military protection. Roles and paths are the main principles of Confucianism, it focuses on the importance of the role and not the action. In the relationship between the government and its civilians, the government’s role is to protect its citizens. Using Confucianism, I argue that the United States government should follow Europe’s lead in implementing GDPR because the government’s role entails protecting civilian rights, diplomatic affairs, and privacy data.

One of the central concepts from Zimmer’s ethics of research in Facebook is breach of privacy, digital intelligence, and accountability. These concepts are shown throughout the article. The research being conducted in the article is about a group of researchers that publicly released profile data collected from the Facebook accounts of a freshman class of a US college. The article focuses on the ethics behind the research that was done with the Facebook accounts. The breach of privacy happened When the data was being released to the public, the group T3. The researchers of group T3 believed the information they were releasing was public so that anyone with Facebook could see it. The researchers did not realize that because they were in the school’s network, which meant that they could see information on the account that was not public for everyone to see. The article directly talks about how the researcher’s assistant had the same “network” as the subjects, and in the settings, there is a privacy setting that keeps information in the network rather than on their public account. This was an example of the research team having a lack of digital intelligence. When releasing information that has been collected, there can be unauthorized secondary use. With this unauthorized second use, researchers can lose control of the data that was collected.

When it comes to the GDPR with the Europe regulations. The GDPR is used to provide consumers with rights to their data, it primarily focuses on businesses. In this situation, it’s researchers collecting data instead of businesses, but the subjects have no knowledge that their data is being collected. Under the GDPR it would tell the researchers that they need to alert the subjects or their data being collected. The research team needed to take accountability for the mistake they made when releasing the data collected from Facebook. The GDPR discusses the significance of privacy protection. The Zimmer article is an example of a research team failing to protect personal data. If the team had used the GDPR the personal data would not have been exposed to the public. When it comes to Confucianism and the concepts of GDPR, the role is to protect citizens/ consumers. Confucianism focuses on the role, not the actions and the role of GDPR is protection, which it succeeds at in the EU. Using transparency to make sure there are errors in data or data that shouldn’t be there. The head of the researchers Jason Kaufmann role was to make sure his research assistants were following ethics and making sure personal data was safe. But when the data was exposed Kaufmann tried to present the issue as not serious because he believed it was public information that anyone could see. This point was proven wrong in the article but Kaufmann denied that he and his team made any mistake. Kaufmann and his team could have worked on their mistakes and tried to fix the data that was released but they refused to believe there was a problem. I believe if they had taken accountability for their actions/mistakes they would not be used as an example of this kind. 

One of the key ideas in Buchanan’s research focuses on the moral consequences of data science, analytics, and big data. Buchanan goes into the difficulties brought about by the swift progress of technology in the collection and analysis of vast quantities of data, especially with concerns about privacy, rights, autonomy, and social justice. He stresses the similarity of ethics and methodologies, underscoring the importance of constant policy discussions on the implications of big data mining. Buchanan also wonders about the motivations behind data analysis, the applications of data, and the possible consequences of neglecting or not disclosing such analyses.

Another important idea is the changing field of research ethics in the era of data science. Buchanan talks about the challenges that come with using big data techniques like data mining and social network analysis, and how they impact personal privacy, consent, and ethical monitoring. He contemplates the difficulties encountered by researchers and ethics committees in maneuvering through these novel research settings and urges taking a proactive stance in confronting ethical issues related to big data research.

The topic in Benigni, Joseph, and Carley’s study centers on using a different IVCC model to detect ISIS/ISIL sympathizers on Twitter. The researchers used big data analytics methods to examine Twitter data and identify particular individuals and groups linked to extremist beliefs. This situation is consistent with Buchanan’s ideas on the moral consequences of data science and big data analysis.

The IVCC model’s ability to detect and illustrate connections between Twitter users prompts ethical concerns about privacy, consent, and the utilization of data for intelligence and security objectives. The researchers aim to pinpoint ISIS/ISIL supporters, aligning with the wider societal focus on combating violent extremism online. Nevertheless, it is important to strike a balance between this goal and ethical concerns related to gathering and evaluating data, as well as the possible consequences on people’s rights and independence.

Confucian ethics stresses the significance of moral virtues like kindness, justice, and appropriate behavior in leading human behavior and decision-making. Utilizing Confucian beliefs in the context of identifying online extremism on Twitter requires evaluating the ethical consequences of data analysis and ensuring it aligns with societal values and objectives. Twitter’s role is to be a platform where people can express themselves. 

According to Confucian beliefs, the evaluation of using big data analytics to uncover ISIS/ISIL supporters on Twitter should consider its ethical implications and societal impact. Confucianism stresses the significance of promoting harmonious relationships and upholding social stability and order through moral teachings. Therefore, while the goal of fighting online extremism is ethically justified, the techniques employed to accomplish it must also adhere to moral standards.

When assessing the decisions made, Confucian moral philosophy would highlight the significance of honoring personal privacy, maintaining principles of fairness and justice, and guaranteeing that data analysis benefits society without excessively violating personal rights. Encouraging transparency, accountability, and ongoing ethical reflection in the development and implementation of data analytics for sensitive societal issues such as countering extremism.

According to this evaluation, it is important for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to partake in ethical discussions, refer to ethical frameworks like Confucian ethics, and create precise guidelines and protections to uphold individuals’ rights and ethical behavior during data analysis. To summarize, tackling issues like online extremism with data analytics is crucial, but it should be carried out ethically and in line with moral standards to maintain a fair perspective that upholds individual rights and enhances societal welfare.

Ultimately, Buchanan’s thoughts provide valuable insights when determining if the United States should adopt privacy laws similar to Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In the digital age, the importance of protecting personal privacy, rights, and autonomy is emphasized when it comes to ethical concerns in data science and big data analytics. Buchanan’s focus on current discussions about big data mining supports the call for all-encompassing privacy legislation that considers both innovation and ethics.

While certain individuals may oppose stringent privacy rules due to concerns about hindering technological progress or raising compliance expenses, these issues can be resolved by implementing a more detailed strategy. Taking into account ethical logic and the overall societal advantages of safeguarding data, implementing strong privacy regulations is not only morally acceptable but also crucial for building confidence in digital environments. Analyzing similar cases and consequences of privacy regulations on a worldwide scale, valuable lessons can be learned about effective strategies and possible obstacles. In general, implementing privacy laws based on GDPR principles is a proactive move to maintain ethical standards in data science and uphold the rights of individuals in a world driven by data.