CSC 379:Week 4

This page contains a draft of discussion topics for Week 4

Biometrics and Privacy of Genetic Data

A concern with ID cards that contain biometric information is that once one is stolen, it would be more difficult for someone to reclaim their identity as the nature of the representation of biometric data that would be used would be something that would not change over a person’s lifetime (e.g. fingerprints or eye-scan). Thus for technologies that rely solely on the biometric data contained within the IDs to establish identity, once a card is stolen, ones “identity” may never be able to be reclaimed. -- Genetic data goes well with this topic since it suffers from similar issues as biometrics, although genetic data is much more invasive to ones privacy as society becomes more able to interpret it. There have been discussions of a constitutional amendment to prohibit genetic discrimination. There is a good resource by Forbes that details a dozen genetic tests that exist today (either commercially or in testing) that can predict increased probability of contracting genetically-related diseases during ones lifetime. If ones genetic information is made available, or information derived from, it opens the person to an increased threat of discrimination (jobs, insurance, social), as well as other threats to privacy not yet realized, but that will likely be realized within ones lifetime as there becomes a greater capability to interpret genetic data. -- What types of protections should be afforded to biometric data compared to other types of data? For genetic data? Should biometric/genetic data be incorporated into various technology from ID cards to diagnostic equipment?

Resources

Relevant Class Website Links:

• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/card/
• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/medical/
• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/web/identity/

Mapping / Google Street View

Many are concerned about the invasiveness of satellite/aerospace imaging. Governments have complained of risks related to the availability of images of sensitive military or strategic sites, sometimes requesting obfuscation or blackouts of the compromising images. With the expansion of mapping technologies to the street level, more people have become concerned about how invasive to their privacy public photography can be. Explore the ethical implications of mapping technologies. Should mapping technologies comply with the laws of every country that has access their services even if they are not located there? Are requests for censorship of public photography ethical? When? As mapping imagery increases in coverage and resolution over time, should there be a limit or censorship mandated to protect the public from lawful but invasive and sometimes unwanted photography?

Resources=

Relevant External Links:

• Google Zooms In Too Close for Some (New York Times)
• Public Opinion on Google Street View (Boing Boing)

Internet Surveillance (e.g. AT&T’s NSA Rooms)

During the mid 1990s, one would consider himself/herself lucky to find what one was looking for though an internet search. As internet usage has grown, better search technologies has emerged displacing many human created directory-based search engines with ones providing a vast array of dynamically-created and helpful results. Technologies such as Google Alerts allows the tracking of yourself and others content on the internet based on keyword identifiers. Voluntary technologies such as blogs, online photo albums, and social networking have added a wealth of information available about us online. -- AT&T has come under scrutiny by members of the public for allegedly constructing “NSA rooms” containing equipment that has the capability to monitor large amounts of internet traffic and are only accessible special US Government-affiliated staff members. -- Examine a variety of ethical concerns related to tracking of both voluntarily and non-voluntarily provided information on the internet by members of the public, employers, government, and schools. Cite relevant laws, policies, and/or actions taken that are related to these concerns.

Resources

Relevant Class Website Links:

• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/web/
• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/mining/
• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/surveillance/
• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/financial/

Terms of Service and Privacy Policies with Social Networking

Many major social networking sites maintain user-submitted information and through Terms of Service and Privacy Policies state that they can use user-submitted information without permission of the user that provided it. Maintenance of this information over the long term and exposure to third-parties poses many ethical concerns. Examine and discuss the policies of some major social networking sites and the existing controversy regarding user privacy.

Resources

Relevant Class Website Links:

• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/speech/myspace/

Privacy of Search Content / Search Engines both Local (Desktop Search) and Internet

A recent proof-of-concept exploit of Internet Explorer allowed for the running of a search through Google Desktop for passwords on a user’s computer upon visiting a website containing the exploit script [cite]. Operating systems, browsers, and other software like desktop searches keep a written history of user activities, of which many users are unaware of [cite]. This poses a privacy threat to users as computers with content collected through the use of a variety of programs remains recoverable, even when thought to be deleted. Many business and government agencies implement technologies designed to obscure information on hard drives prior to allowing old computers out of their inventory. However for many non-tech-savvy consumers, such technologies are not implemented, or are impractical (as the case when a computer is disabled and needs repaired, or is confiscated as part of an investigation). In such cases, private information can be exposed, now ever more easily and thoroughly through the use of desktop search technologies. With the Geek Squad allegedly stealing private information from computers serviced, and the government through use of the Patriot Act able to use information collected from a computer normally kept private and inadmissible in court, a number of ethical concerns have become more prevalent as it becomes easier to locate private information. -- Internet search engines also pose a threat to privacy through maintenance of search logs as it may be possible for the government to use subpoenas to acquire normally private user search logs. Google has responded by shortening the length of time it maintains search data, and other search engines have precautions in place as well to protect user privacy. Examine the ethical issues regarding the privacy of searchable content and the impact of search engines both locally and internet based.

Resources

Relevant Class Website Links:

• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/abuse/wvt/

Workplace Monitoring

The increasing prevalence of monitoring technologies in the workplace pose many ethical concerns. Existing technologies can provide monitoring of employee actions on workstations and traffic on workplace networks such as email and instant messaging. Employers may also legally monitor phone conversions to a limited extent. While businesses are attempting to make sure their employees do a good job, excessive monitoring may cause harm to employees. Monitoring could be abused if personal information discovered while monitoring employees is used to discriminate against them. Analyze the ethical implications of employers that make use of monitoring tools.

Resources

Relevant Class Website Links:

• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/social/workplace/monitoring/
• http://ethics.csc.ncsu.edu/privacy/e-mail/