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

1) In the technologically advanced era being surrounded by advanced softwares and gadgets I believe that I am considerably more exposed to the open environment than before. May it be my workplace where along with my work, our actions are also being monitored. My confidential data is stored in my workplace databases which could easily be subject to hacking or abuse which causes fear, mostly when such instances have taken place. The internet and networking sometimes unveils various facts that I did not want to reveal. There are so many new applications through which people can easily spy on me and my personal information.

Scanners at sensitive places such as airports reveal everything we are carrying ,, Breaking down into my laptop and taking all the sensitive data can easily be dkbe. Therefore I in the present era feel more vulnerable with the technology than before.

2) I think employees should only be monitored to the extend of their professional work and actions ,not inspecting which might lead to underperformance or create problems for the business. As a manager I understand that employees also do not want interference with their privacy and thus I will try finding all such possible ways through which it will be ensured that they are getting enough personal space and they do not feel like their privacy is being hampered at the workplace.

I will ensure that the information stored in the databases about the employees is kept confidential and access to such information is denied for everybody except for the employees.

I will remove CCTV cameras in the personal space area of employees and will try that to only fix them at common or public areas and professional spaces.

I will ensure that employees will have to at least go through verification or sanners to prevent awkward feeling and sense of exposure

Data security and anti malware will be installed to prevent data theft and hacking of computers to overcome fear in employees about stealing data.

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Q3) I will try my best to create awareness among people about the installations of secret devices or cameras if found anywhere and will report such issues. Such as in trial rooms at mall.

I will refuse working in such organizations where privacy is hampered by extensively using technological devices to inspect employees all the time.

I will not supply any sensitive information like finger prints to organisations which I feel can be misused. And if happened to be essentially provided I will ensure that information is safe and secure.

I will report to the management of the area or workplace about the potential issues of their technological devices which put privacy at risk and will try to convince them to remove such devices for maintaining privacy.

I will file a petition if ever I found that my privacy was threatened intentionally without any genuine cause.

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Thanks you dear student

Hope I explained well..

Good day and god bless :)

Please rhe if satisfied :) :)