Spyware in a Mobile Application:
- Imagine a popular weather app that unexpectedly contains spyware. Users, thinking they are only granting access to location data for accurate weather forecasts, are unaware that the app is also continuously tracking their real-time location and sending the information to third-party advertisers.
- a. Invasion of Privacy: Users who install the weather app are unwittingly allowing their location data to be used for purposes beyond weather forecasting, constituting a clear invasion of privacy.
- b. Potential for Abuse: Advertisers may exploit this collected data to create targeted ads based on users’ real-time locations. This not only breaches user trust but opens the door for potential misuse of personal information.
Algorithmic Hiring and Bias:
- Consider a large corporation that uses an algorithm for resume screening. Despite efforts to create an unbiased algorithm, it undeniably favors candidates with specific keywords or experiences, disadvantaging qualified individuals from non-traditional backgrounds.
- The biased algorithm perpetuates existing inequalities by systematically favoring candidates who fit a particular profile, contributing to a lack of diversity within the company.
- Engineers developing the algorithm must actively work to identify and mitigate biases. For instance, they should regularly review and adjust the algorithm to ensure it does not inadvertently discriminate against candidates based on factors such as gender, race, or educational background.
Volkswagen’s Dieselgate Scandal:
- People who are trying to be environmentally friendly purchases Volkswagen electric cars, thinking that they are making an eco-friendly choice and being green. However, the company sets up the software in a way that in these electric cars the statistics overstate their energy efficiency and environmental impact to ensure a “green” mindset for the consumers.
- a. Deception: Many customers now think that they are contributing to environmental protective acts, however, this is not accurate as the company presents them with warped data about their environmental impact of their electric cars.
- b. Responsibility of Engineers and Product Management: The engineers who knowingly manipulated the software and the product management team that endorsed this deceptive practice shares responsibilities for condoning deception and environmental regulations.