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Spring 2021 DATA 605 Ethical And Legal Issues in Data Science (02.12004) SP2021

DATA605_12004_SP2021 Matthew Esworthy

DATA 606 Capstone in Data Science (01.11547/02.11631) SP2021 DATA606_11547_SP2021 Multiple Instructors × DATA605_12004_SP2021

DATA 605 Ethical And Legal Issues in Data Science (02.12004) SP2021 DATA 605 Ethical And Legal Issues in Data Science (02.12004) SP2021 Skip to main content 

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Course Content Start Here Syllabus + Important Information Introduction Introduction Please take a moment and introduce yourself and include such information about your background ... such as your prior education, career goals, plans for world domination?Please complete this by the end of the first week of class. Class 1 Class 1 - Discussion Due date: 1/26/21, 10:00 PM (1) Give four examples from this chapter of a social change brought about by the adoption of a new information technology.(2) Some say that no technology is inherently good or evil, rather, any technology can be used for either good or evil ... Class 1 - Overview & Learning Objectives No more content items to load Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Class 7 Load 10 more content items × DATA 605 Ethical And Legal Issues in Data Science (02.12004) SP2021

Class 1 - Discussion Class 1 - Discussion Discussion Topic (1) Give four examples from this chapter of a social change brought about by the adoption of a new information technology.

(2) Some say that no technology is inherently good or evil, rather, any technology can be used for either good or evil purposes. Do you share this view?

Responses (29)

Use this space to start a discussion! Make an initial post to start a discussion. Participants can add responses and replies.

Sanaz Fesharaki 1/31/21, 9:10 PM (1) We can not our lives without microchips. Behind microchips are transistors and semiconductors. Now our whole life is evolved by microprocessors. Our education, our jobs and out interaction with other people now is through microchips. We form social groups and do political activity through our cellphones which made by highly advanced microchips. At the same time we watched through our cellphones too. I couldn't think of anything else impacting our lives as our smart cellphones.

(2) I couldn't think of any technology which is a hundred person bad. I am absolutely sure that there is no good in bombs and mass destructions, all types including nuclear, chemical or microbial. But bobs are the products not the technology. technology used in making bombs is the same one using for mining, spraying to get rid of insects or building new medications. It is always the way we use technology that matters. about the technology which is absolutely good, I am thinking of water treatment technology and sanitary piping system. Well, It can also be abused. Conclusion: Technology is value-free. It is human choices on how to use a technology which make it good or bad. Edited by Sanaz Fesharaki on Jan 31, 2021, 9:57:30 PM

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Matthew Esworthy 1/29/21, 10:29 PM Current events, the recent GameStop/Robinhood trading event. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/28/robinhood-interactive-brokers-restrict-trading-ingamestop-s.html

Any thoughts on the ethical issues and/or dilemmas surrounding the GameStop trading and Robinhood's temporary cessation of trading? One observation (that I have not heard much about) is the role technology played in these events. Is the availability of on-line real time day trading a good thing or a bad thing? Reply | Show Replies (20) NEW

Matthew Esworthy 1/27/21, 8:15 PM Can anyone in the class think of a piece of technology that has absolutely no positive or "good" use? Conversely, can anyone think of a piece of technology that has absolutely no potential for abuse? Reply | Show Replies (48) NEW

Matthew Esworthy 1/27/21, 8:13 PM Great posts! With respect to the nature of technology... (in keeping with current events)... consider the following article:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180104-is-social-media-bad-for-you-the-evidenceand-the-unknowns

https://www.aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/whygovernment-use-social-media-monitoring

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Aishwarya Kale 1/27/21, 7:57 PM

1) Give four examples from this chapter of a social change brought about by the adoption of a new information

According to me , Below are the examples of information technologies which caused a major social change :

1) Television : Televsion (broadcasting video on wire ) have always influence our social lives by showcasting the events like 'The world of tomorrow' , telecasting when Neil Armstrong was stepping on the surface of moon, communicating and conveying world news to advertising commercials .It has always played a major role influencing the way people think, develop ideas about the world around them.

2) Telephones : The invention of telephone by Alexander Bell was initially commercialized making its availability in businesses.As the number of phones increased rapidly, people started focusing on its social value as well. Telephone helped people to communicate quickly over distances and to expand business practices. Later ,excess use of telephone started causing interruption in social life of people and loss of privacy. Telephone also enabled the creation of first online communities .

3) Internet : Internet has majorly contributed to social change in society.According to study published by Martin Hilbert in Science, 95 % of information existing on planet is digitized and is accessible on the internet.Internet underwent immense growth and now can be considered as multidisciplinary tool for searching news and information, communication and collaboration, social networking, online learning, shopping & banking , entertainment.

4) Email Communication: Email utility first known as 'killer app' created by Lawrence quickly became most popular network application .Worldwide , it is major used at business & organizational level and for personal communication as well. More than 200 billion email messages are sent out each day.

2) Some say that no technology is inherently good or evil, rather, any technology can be used for either good or evil purposes. Do you share this view?

Yes , I believe that no technology is inherently good or evil , it's the perception we build around it and the way we use it. Technology has bought both useful and pointless things in our lives. Internet can be used for social networking , communication & collaboration, learning , spreading facts and awareness but also it can used to spread hatred to create flash mobs for protesters. For instance , now adays, twitter is been used as a propaganda tool. Technology has made our lives better with everything one click away but its exploitation has resulted in lethargic and sedentary lifestyle of humankind. So, we must be mindful of that whatever technology does to our life , it itself is not inherently good or evil but can be used for either purposes.

Citations: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/06/30/tech-is-just-a-tool/ Reply | Show Replies (4) NEW

Venkatesh Raj Rudrappa 1/27/21, 6:40 PM Give four examples from this chapter of a social change brought about by the adoption of a new information technology.

1)Smartphones: Smartphones in this century have evolved so much that it is one of the main reasons for the social changes. We can see smartphones almost everywhere, with every family member to anyone in the villages, from a child to any adult up-to 65 years old being online and active most of the time for any activities. These days people are so much attracted to the smartphones that they cannot be without smartphones sometimes, even for a minute.

2)Cars: The first phase of the automobile growth ended with one car per family, but the second phase of growth ended with about one car per person. With each passing year, the enthusiasm for the car became more prominent as there are additional technologies such as GPS, Car play, Android one, etc.. added to it. Drivers prided themselves on the scale of their engines that could be modified to have more power than a modern Ferrari. Drivers weren't the only people who would benefit from vehicles. Automobile manufacturing firms hired workers to assemble the cars which further created numerous jobs.[1]

3)Television: Television has been playing one of the major roles in people’s lives so much that it has more likely become like any other activity other than sleeping and working. But overuse of television leads into affecting your health especially of the children as they will be spending less time playing outside or even spending quality time with their family.[2] Invention of Smart Television has rapidly increased the children's addiction towards television.

4)Internet: With the rise of the Internet in recent decades, its impact on society has been profound at multiple levels-including connectivity, access to knowledge, and social interaction. Internet growth has also been hugely disruptive for intelligence services. Disruption and encryption have embittered traditional models of intelligence. Agencies are now learning to embrace the Internet to address the evolving threats posed by terrorism and non-state actors.[3]

Some say that no technology is inherently good or evil, rather, any technology can be used for either good or evil purposes. Do you share this view?

Many argue that technology is a blessing; some say that it is a curse. Who's right? They both are. Whether technology is good or bad depends on the people who create it— and I think that is one of the things that has been ignored. Technology does not appear out of thin air; people are behind it making it. These people are the ones who decide whether the technology is positive or negative If we want a world that is more human than a world that is less human; if we want to be a planet of human beings that is more enlightened than less enlightened; and if we want to use technology to do more good than bad, then we need to take action to do so.[4,5] Overall, societies are developing new technologies to make lives easier or solve problems, but modern technologies are changing the social situations and may create new issues.

Sources :

1. The Automobile: Effects/Impact on Society and Changes in Cars Made by Generation - https://axleaddict.com/auto-industry/Affects-of-the-Automobile-onSociety-and-Changes-Made-by-Generation 2. Television and social media impact on society, children, and adolescents https://lifeasahuman.com/2013/eco/environment/comparing-now-and-then-anoverview-of-how-cars-drastically-changed-human-lives/ 3. A Brave New World: How the Internet Affects Societies https://www.internetsociety.org/resources/doc/2017/a-brave-new-world-how-theinternet-affects-societies/ 4. Is Technology Good or Evil? - https://www.huffpost.com/entry/is-technology-goodor-evi_b_1826270? guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_refe rrer_sig=AQAAAAiNCkSBbMftAEzmjGgVmz99B4dSpu7cvRyjwxVac4o_f5CInQ_yQvt0VHwyMpVnuLw3heNlRaZ2JY9MG02xHckfY8padr1 yNIN2C2RReSoqKUeScW_VD3KF0Bt1BlLmEE50ncgZv9IdVJEQqIgRga29d_ko68K93 R5VW_1pyd2 5. Whether technology is good or bad depends on the people that create it https://thenextweb.com/tech/2017/12/13/whether-technology-is-good-or-baddepends-on-the-people-that-create-it/

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Shaimar Gonzalez Morales 1/27/21, 6:36 PM (1)Give four examples from this chapter of a social change brought about by the adoption of a new information technology.

Punched-card-tabulation- The authors mentioned in the book how this new invention leads to a reduction in the time and cost spend when applied to run the Census. However, the same technology was used to more efficiently identify Jews during the Holocaust, contributing to the torture and/or death of these individuals.

Radio-The author discussed how the radio became one of the top mass media communication and how listeners became traumatized when listening a theater play.

Telephone-Before the patent time expired, the technology was used virtually as a business tool. However, when the patent expired, and the prices went down it gave the opportunity to normal individuals to buy the device. This drop in price allowed the telephone to be one of the main if not the main communication between distant households during that time. Nevertheless, one of the things that the author mentioned is that the personal and work line were not anymore established, and individuals felt capable of calling someone that they might not know personally.

Television-It is mentioned in the book how the television provided the opportunity for individuals to see what was happening or were of high interest in the news as the first moon landing. However, it was the same device that help spread false information about Al Gore winning the presidential elections of 2000, when was George W. Bush the winner of such election.

(2) Some say that no technology is inherently good or evil, rather, any technology can be used for either good or evil purposes. Do you share this view?

I do for the most part agree with the statement. I don’t think all technologies themselves are bad, but unfortunately most are been driven by a lot of individuals that are greedy and seems to not have good morals values. You might have heard the phrase from the Bible “money is the root of all evil- 1 Timothy 6:10” and I think this is

what is happening here. The object can’t be bad as it is just an object, but people can have hidden motives and utilize them for evil. What we should be asking ourselves is how much positives this innovation/technology can bring versus the negatives, is it worthy of been made or implemented?

Let's look to the examples that I provided in the first part of this discussion, the punched card tabulation. IBM knew Hitler was doing evil things and still proceed to actively sought business with the German government. Although the author suggest that they made the decision based on the pursue of more money (which it is still wrong), it makes you think whether they also believe in some of the anti-Semitic vision of Hitler.

In the second example, the radio, if most transmissions are of music or news, is it too far off as a listener to assume the worse when hearing the terrifying plots of the War of the World play, especially if it was not constantly mentioned that it was a theater play? Also, the play was presented in the same format than the news. If they didn’t want people to panic, they should constantly remind them that it was just a performance act. What if their motive was to test the power that they could have with the radio?

The third example, the telephone, a great tool of communication but people assumed that it was ok to reach out to people that they didn’t even know personally. Do you see some similarities here with social media? However, let’s assume for a moment that the companies wanted this to happen. You may ask: why? Phone books provided the number of everyone unless you pay an extra amount to not be included. What if that was another source of revenue for the company?

Last but not least, television, brought another tool for journalist to use in aims to make the government accountable. However, journalists are also human being and might also have personal biases that might drive a narrative based on their own believes although not entirely true. Another thing that I noticed about the television is that the networks don't regulate the content or do it poorly. The Simpsons was advertised when I was little as a kid show because it had cartoons in it when it clearly wasn’t.

Nevertheless, one thing that I think should be considered in all STEM discipline outside of biology is the concept that you should always design a research/project considering all the things that can go wrong and avoid research that can be harmful. Let’s use this model to analyze social media. The telephone provided evidence of privacy concern and that individuals were not been able to differentiate what it is ok and not ok. These incidents resulted in some people accessing/reaching out to other individuals that they didn't knew previously, because they felt they had the right to do so. Similarly, we see nowadays in social media people can't distinct the boundaries, which have resulted with invasion of “influencer” houses because they felt that they knew them and recent

events. Not only this but all the negative things that we know social media can cause, in this model social media will be consider an innovation that is more harmful than beneficial.

References: Quinn, Michael J. Ethics for the Information Age, 7th Edition, Pearson, 2017. Reply | Show Replies (2) NEW

Chinmay Toley 1/27/21, 4:12 PM (1) Give four examples from this chapter of a social change brought about by the adoption of a new information technology.

Telephones

Telephones made it easy to communicate anywhere around the world. People started conducting business transaction from their home. Telephones connected the rural area to the urban areas. The power of this new technology changed everyone's personal as well as private life. Telephones had it's fair share of disadvantages.

Television

Television used to cost about much as an automobile and that's why it remained a rarity before. But after the technological advancements television became the center of knowing what's going on in the world. Televisions connect several fields and send messages around the world. Television can affect people to fall into false propaganda that is depicted on the television.

Email

Before email networked computer could transfer programs and data only. Emails gave individuals the ability to list their email messages, selectively read, star messages, reply

to them, forward to others and save them. Email is the most important form of communication nowadays. More than 200 billion email messages are sent each day.

World Wide Web-

WWW allowed to user to view all the websites. Also called as the web. WWW has been central to the development of the IT age. It allows us to view web pages. The web became the best source to show news and informative programs.

2) Some say that no technology is inherently good or evil, rather, any technology can be used for either good or evil purposes. Do you share this view?

Yes, I share this view that no technology is inherently good or evil. Every scientist or inventor invents a technology considering the good things in mind. Necessity is the mother of invention , it drives the inventors to develop technology. Technology is not evil it depends on the user in what way to use it. For example, the white hat hacker help the government/ organization to...