Introduction to Ethics of Big Data

An Introduction to Ethics of Big

Data Webcast by Kord Davis

Preamble Deeply passionate about more productive discussion Academic background in philosophy Experiences with Big Data Topic site to launch with book release #ethicsofbigdata

www.ethicsofbigdata.com Twitter: @kordindex #ethicsofbigdata

Current State A data architect and a product

manager (or two) walk into a meeting…

Creepy? Yes, it is. No, it isn’t. In the absence of a common

vocabulary and framework for discussion, individuals revert to their own moral codes


Future State Creating a common vocabulary and

framework for productive discussion (ethical inquiry)

Ethics of Big Data is about understanding the influence of our values on our actions.

Seeking a set of common values Action in alignment with those values


Path Forward Review key concepts in the book Raise awareness and engagement Intentional ethical inquiry Explore a framework

» Four Aspects of Big Data Ethics

» Ethical Decision Points

» Values & Actions Alignment

» Value Personas


What Is This Big Data Thing?

Assuming familiarity Some characteristics Familiar examples Volume, variety, velocity creates a “forcing function”


What Is This Ethics Thing?

Big Data is ethically neutral Use of Big Data is not Ethics is only one aspect Abstract concepts, real implications Ethical inquiry informs ethical action Ethical principles informed by values Aligning action with those values


Pushing business operations deeper into our lives

Changing common meanings Value implications

Big Data’s Forcing Function

Big Data’s Forcing Function Volume, Variety, Velocity The Supreme Court and Netflix Data Exhaust/Ecosystem/Life stream Meta-data


Anatomy of a Tweet Place type Verified Badge status Number of favorites Number of followers Protected status Country Application used to Tweet Author’s screen name Author’s biography


Big Data’s Forcing Function Imagine if Hemingway blogged, JFK tweeted, or Rosa

Parks was on Facebook What will our grandchildren know about us that we didn’t

know about our grandparents? Library of Congress Political change (Egypt, SOPA) Social change (location, interaction, communication) Education, Healthcare, Weather


Big Data’s Forcing Function Risk

» Security

» Privacy

» Legal compliance

» Customer Engagement

Opportunity

» Innovation

» Deeper insights

» Broader outlooks

» Customer Engagement


Balancing Risk and Innovation Use the Force

» Acknowledge

» Frame

» Differentiate

» Engage

Frame Key Aspects


Identity Privacy Ownership Reputation

Four Aspects of Big Data Ethics



Identity Privacy

Ownership Reputation


Identity

» Is offline existence identical to online existence? Privacy

» Who should control access to data about you? Ownership

» What does it mean to own data about ourselves? Reputation

» How can we determine what is trust-worthy?


Identity “Identity is prismatic”, Chris Poole “Having two identities for yourself is an example of a

lack of integrity”, Mark Zuckerberg Fred Wilson proposes “lightweight” online identity New products and services launch US Government proposes National Strategy for

Trusted Identities in Cyberspace Google+ policy changes on pseudonyms


Identity Privacy


Privacy “Data can be either useful or perfectly anonymous but

never both.” (Paul Ohm) 87% of Americans can be identified by three data

points: gender, birthdate, ZIP code In last 12 months:

» Supreme Court ruled warrantless GPS tracking is unconstitutional

» Homeland Security tests crime prediction technology

» Zuckerberg declares “age of privacy” to be over

» New product and services launch based on privacy control

» O’Reilly publishes “Privacy and Big Data”

» Google streamlines 60+ privacy policies into one—generating industry debate and Congressional inquiry


Identity Privacy


Ownership Google website devoted to “liberating your data” UK government proposes “personal identity data”

marketplace (a DC company does the same) Doc Searls calls for an end to collecting customer data World Economic Forum (WEF) describes personal data

as a “new economic asset class” (data as currency) The Sierra Club sues Orange County for access to GIS

data


Identity Privacy


Reputation Google+ policy changes on pseudonyms “The Future of Reputation” (2007) New products and services launch “Reputation management” Ongoing debate about reputation

» It’s alive: http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/03/how-to-defend-your-reputation.html

» It’s dead: http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/28/reputation-is-dead-its-time-to-overlook-our-indiscretions/


Identity Privacy


http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2010/03/how-to-defend-your-reputation.html



http://techcrunch.com/2010/03/28/reputation-is-dead-its-time-to-overlook-our-indiscretions/

What is the current state of affairs? Fortune 50 public-facing policy

statements

Current Practices: Alignment?

Current Practices: Buying & Selling On the one hand…34 out of Fortune 50 companies

would NOT SELL personal data without consent No policy stated they would sell personal data

On the other hand…11 out of Fortune 50 stated they would BUY (or “obtain”) data from third parties

0 out of Fortune 50 stated they would NOT BUY personal data


If it’s not okay to sell something, how is it okay to buy it?

Ethical Decision Points

Ethical Decision Points Ethical incoherence Values and actions can be in conflict “Don’t know what we don’t know” Opportunity to align values and

actions to increase collaborative innovation

Reduce value conflicts in Big Data innovations

Comfort factor (reduced creepy)


Ethical Decision Points Some real-world examples include:

» adding a new product feature

» policy development

» security breach

» designing new products/services

» opportunity to use or combine data in a new way


Ethical Decision Points Continuous cycle:

» Inquiry

» Understanding

» Articulation

» Action


Inquiry

Understanding

Articulation

Action

Values & Actions Alignment Benefits of alignment Risks of misalignment Value Personas


Values & Actions You already know how to do this Our values inform our actions all the time We value lots of things Ethical practice is an outcome of ethical inquiry Ethical inquiry is an exploration of values Values can be personified


Value Personas Evolution of “user persona” Articulate how specific values inform

specific actions in specific context Aligns operational perspectives on

values & actions: executives, managers, line staff

Designed in collaborative workshops with cross-functional team


Value Personas Considerations include:

» Intention

» Security

» Likelihood

» Aggregation

» Responsibility

» Benefit

» Harm

» Organizational roles

» Timeline


Common Themes Big Data is:

» Ubiquitous

» Permanent

» Explicit

» Aggregated


Transparent Collaboration Acknowledge the complexity at Ethical Decision Points Be explicit with ethical discussions Engage the nuance Encourage “value talk” Use Value Personas to help create a common

understanding & facilitate dialog Seek alignment of values and actions See Exact Target best practices

» http://subscribersrule.com/

» http://www.exacttarget.com/company/orange-culture.aspx


http://subscribersrule.com/

http://www.exacttarget.com/company/orange-culture.aspx

If your data handling actions were known today … would they align with your values? Your customer’s values?

Transparency

Thank You! Topic site: www.ethicsofbigdata.com Blog: www.kordindex.com Email: [email protected] Twitter: http://twitter.com/kordindex LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/korddavis Ethics of Big Data (O’Reilly, March 2012):

http://shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920021872.do

All references will be provided in archived presentation.


http://www.ethicsofbigdata.com/

http://www.kordindex.com/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://twitter.com/kordindex

http://www.linkedin.com/in/korddavis



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Introduction to Ethics of Big Data