22 Questions
What is the definition of privacy in the context of information rights?
The claim of individuals to be left alone, free from surveillance or interference from other individuals, organizations, or state; claim to be able to control information about yourself.
What are cookies used for in online tracking?
To identify web visitors and store data about their visits to a website.
What is the purpose of web beacons or web bugs in online tracking?
To monitor who is reading an e-mail message or visiting a website.
What is the concern with spyware in online tracking?
It can surreptitiously install on a user's computer and transmit user keystrokes or display unwanted ads.
How do Google services use behavioral targeting?
To display personalized ads based on user behavior and preferences.
What is the impact of online tracking on individual privacy?
It compromises individual privacy by collecting and storing personal data without user consent.
What technological advancements have contributed to the ease of personal data collection and analysis?
Rapidly declining data storage costs, networking advances and the Internet, and advances in data analysis techniques.
What is profiling, and what does it involve?
Profiling is combining data from multiple sources to create dossiers of detailed information on individuals.
What is NORA, and how is it used?
NORA (Nonobvious Relationship Awareness) is a technology that combines data from multiple sources to find obscure, hidden connections.
Why do mobile device manufacturers want to track their customers' locations?
The reason is not specified, but it likely involves targeted advertising, location-based services, and monetizing user data.
Should mobile phone customers be able to turn tracking off, and why or why not?
Yes, customers should be able to turn tracking off because it is their personal data and they have a right to privacy.
What are some potential ethical issues with mobile phone tracking?
Some potential ethical issues include violation of privacy, surveillance, and the potential for misuse of personal data.
How can NORA technology be used, and what are some potential implications?
NORA technology can be used to identify obscure relationships between individuals, and has implications for surveillance and profiling.
What are some potential consequences of the intersection of mobile device growth and data analysis techniques?
Some potential consequences include increased surveillance, profiling, and violations of privacy, as well as new opportunities for location-based services.
What is intellectual property, and how is it characterized?
Intellectual property is intangible property of any kind created by individuals or corporations. It is characterized as a product of human creativity and innovation.
What are the three main ways that intellectual property is protected?
The three main ways that intellectual property is protected are trade secrets, copyrights, and patents.
What is a trade secret, and how does it differ from a patent?
A trade secret is intellectual work or product belonging to a business that is not in the public domain. It differs from a patent in that it is not publicly disclosed and is protected indefinitely as long as it remains a secret.
What is the primary purpose of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)?
The primary purpose of the DMCA is to make it illegal to circumvent technology-based protections of copyrighted materials.
What are some challenges to intellectual property rights in the digital age?
Some challenges to intellectual property rights in the digital age include the ease of replication, ease of transmission, difficulty in classifying software, compactness, and difficulties in establishing uniqueness.
What is a key issue in computer-related liability problems?
A key issue in computer-related liability problems is determining who is responsible when software fails and causes harm.
What is an acceptable level of system quality in terms of data quality and system errors?
An acceptable level of system quality is one that is technologically feasible and economically viable, recognizing that flawless software is not economically feasible.
What is the significance of the 20-year period for patent protection?
The 20-year period for patent protection refers to the length of time that the creator of an invention has an exclusive monopoly on the ideas behind the invention.
Study Notes
Data Storage and Analysis
- Rapidly declining data storage costs enable organizations to maintain detailed databases on individuals.
- Advances in data analysis techniques and networking have made it easier to copy and access personal data from remote locations.
- Key technologies that raise ethical issues include:
- Profiling: combining data from multiple sources to create detailed dossiers on individuals.
- Nonobvious relationship awareness (NORA): combining data from multiple sources to find obscure hidden connections.
Mobile Device Growth and Tracking
- Mobile device growth has led to the tracking of individual cell phones.
- NORA technology can find obscure relationships between individuals, such as shared phone numbers with known criminals.
- Mobile phone manufacturers (Apple, Google, and BlackBerry) want to track customer locations for various reasons.
Privacy and Information Rights
- Privacy is the claim of individuals to be left alone, free from surveillance or interference, and to control information about themselves.
- The Internet brings challenges to privacy, including:
- Cookies: identifying browsers and tracking site visits.
- Super cookies (Flash cookies): tracking browser history.
- Web beacons (Web bugs): monitoring who is reading emails or visiting sites.
- Spyware: surreptitiously installed on user's computers to transmit keystrokes or display unwanted ads.
- Google services and behavioral targeting: using data to display personalized information.
Intellectual Property Rights
- Intellectual property refers to intangible property created by individuals or corporations.
- Three main ways to protect intellectual property are:
- Trade secrets: proprietary information not in the public domain.
- Copyrights: statutory grants protecting intellectual property from being copied for a certain period.
- Patents: grants of exclusive monopoly on ideas behind inventions for a certain period.
Challenges to Intellectual Property Rights
- Digital media differs from physical media, making it easier to replicate and transmit, but harder to establish uniqueness.
- The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) makes it illegal to circumvent technology-based protections of copyrighted materials.
Accountability, Liability, and Control
- Computer-related liability problems arise from software failures, with questions about who is responsible.
- Liability for software failures is unclear, with different approaches comparing software to machines or books.
System Quality and Data Quality
- Flawless software is economically unfeasible, and an acceptable level of system quality is difficult to determine.
- Data quality and system errors are important considerations in system design.
This quiz explores the ethical implications of advances in data storage, networking, and analysis techniques. It discusses how organizations can maintain detailed databases on individuals and create profiles by combining data from multiple sources.
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