Question

It is getting more and more challenging to keep up with the technological issues involved in privacy. The chapter on privacy in our textbook is practically obsolescent as it is being delivered to the print shop. Page 320: “When we mistakenly believe that on one is watching, we may engage in activities that we would otherwise refrain from doing.”

January 23, 2017 Wall Street Journal carried an article: “Retailers Are Getting Personal: Marketers combine data and tech to keep customers on sites and in their stores” by Laura Stevens. In part the article said: “Sunglass Hut is employing deep learning and image-recognition technology from San Francisco-based Sentient Technologies Holdings Ltd. for its e-commerce site. When a shopper clicks on a pair of shades, the ‘see similar styles’ option uses image recognition to show other sunglass choices, instead of predicting what the person might want based on what other people have purchased.” Further: “Technology giant SAP SE is working with retailers on technology to help identify customers and their likes and dislikes as soon as they walk into a store, creating more of a shopper experience, said Lori Mitchell-Keller, global general manager of consumer industries.” And, lastly, “Digital transformation is upon you whether you want it or not.”

January 15, 2015 Wall Street Journal carried an article: “The Technology That Unmasks Your Hidden Emotions: Using Psychology and Facial-Recognition Software to Study People as They Shop, Watch Ads; Breeding Privacy Fears” by Elizabeth Dwoskin and Evelyn M. Rusli. Quoting briefly: “Paul Ekman, perhaps the world’s most famous face reader, fears he has created a monster.

“The 80-year-old psychologist pioneered the study of facial expressions in the 1970s, creating a catalog of more than 5,000 muscle movements to show how the subtlest wrinkling of the nose or lift of an eyebrow reveal hidden emotions.

“Now, a group of young companies with names like Emotient Inc., Affectiva Inc., and Eyeris are using Dr. Eckman’s research as the backbone of a technology that relies on algorithms to analyze people’s faces and potentially discover their deepest feelings. Collectively, they are amassing an enormous visual database of human emotions, seeking patterns that can predict emotional reactions and behavior on a massive scale…

“One retailer…is starting to test software embedded in security cameras that can scan people’s faces and divine their emotions as walk in and out of its stores. Eyeris, based in Mountain View, Calif., says it has sold its software to federal law-enforcement agencies for use in interrogations…

“People might try to use the software to determine whether their spouse was lying, police might read the emotions of crowds or employers might use it to secretly monitor workers or job applicants.”

You get the idea, don’t you? Have you got a tiny camera built right into your laptop/phone/iPad? Of course you do. Do you use Hey Siri? Do you have Amazon Echo/Alexa? Do you have a Samsung “Smart TV” equipped with voice recognition? Samsung is posting notices saying: “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition.” Oh, and does that device (whatever it is) have the capability to connect to the Internet? Sure it does, even if you don’t use it, it probably has the capacity.

Put the pieces together for yourself. Recall page 320: “When we mistakenly believe that no one is watching…”

Question #1: To what extent do you believe you are being “watched” (visually or aurally observed) in public? At work? At home? Potentially everywhere?

Question #2: As an ethically oriented and yet technologically aware manager, to what extent do you feel you should be monitoring your employees?

Question #3: If you believe that you are being observed, and you wish to reclaim your privacy, what do you think you should do about it?

Answer 1

Question 1)

I feel more exposed after the technological advances have brought with itself the threat of spying, hacking and stealing of information.

Living in the present era , I am surrounded by gadgets in my home and at workplace and there are so many new softwares developed everyday that can make it easily possible for to expose anybody and their personal life to vulnerabilities. At my workplace it is mandatory to out your finger prints in verification process, and employee directory is filled with the information about employees and their past data which I fear can be accessed by anybody or people we want to prevent such information from.

Similarly the use of voice recognition devices and scanners expose our personal life and cause interference. Such as the material scanner at the gate of my workplace even does not leave my handbag and make it clearly visible what I have carried in it. These factors definitely cause discomfort and make one feel vulnerable.

2) As a manager who understands the significance of technology but at the same time understands how important the personal space is,,,,, I will provide at the first place try to collect the information which the employees will have no issue sharing and on addition if confidential information is required in few cases I will provide them scope for employees for maintaining and checking their data directory to ensure strict security protection and anti theft softwares are at place which assure the that their data is safe with us.

I will not monitor employees through any technologicsl spying devices to check whether they are doing their job,,,, I will rather visit and observe them manually to see whether they are performing well. Moreover even if will put say a CCTV camera in their job areas, I will make sure they are aware of it. Moreover not letting everyone access to footage would be made mandatory.

I might provide employees with some chip which they would have to carry in the morning with themselves which will automatically verify and recignise them rather than putting them in a situation of going through body scanners everyday like strangers

3) In my opinion if there is an interference in one's personal life, necessary measures should be taken. to avoid the possible threats. Being at such place where I might feel that my privacy is being exposed I will deny from such practices and stopping using of such methods which might put it at risk. For example if I feel providing finger prints while verifying for employment is trivial or irrelevant I will refuse to do so.

Other ways will include defesting the softwares that can track and spy on me I will become more aware or knowledgeable about how hacking practices work. I will further demand anonymity from law to protect my personal space.

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Thanks dear student.... Hope that works for you...

Good day and Good luck :)

Please rate if satisfied :) that will be encouraging :)