BUSINESS ETHICAL CHALLENGES OF TECHNOLOGY
The introduction of new devices and technology has enabled the various business to achieve their goals (Ugbogbo 2016 p.171). Small enterprises have been able to experience a high growth rate compared to earlier times when technology was not crucial for most businesses. One of the technologies such as the internet has enabled small and large business to acquire potential customers and clientele all over the world. For some companies, the internet has enabled them to cross borders and establish themselves in new, for instance, KFC. Currently, mobile phones and the internet can track our interest as well as what we buy (Martin, Shilton & Smith 2019, p. 308). It is through these techniques that most firms can use it to manage their adverts and target market. However, these technologies can also be disruptive. One great example of a technology that has created various ethical considerations for many e-commerce and cloud computing companies, such as Amazon that operate on online systems has been the internet. While business operators should appreciate the role that technology plays in improving their business, there is also a need for them to be aware of the ethical challenges that these technologies pose such as privacy, hacking, the infringement of copyright, and trust on consumers if they are to be considered ethical.
Firstly, one of the ethical challenges that are created by the internet is privacy. Privacy issues are among one of the leading ethical issues that are linked with technology and this affects many e-commerce and cloud computing companies around the world. While governments have managed to create laws that manage the impact of technology on privacy, there are still a huge number of companies that still struggle with this issue. For example, the recent case of the entanglement between Facebook and Cambridge Analytica that occurred in 2013. Most consumers who use online platforms such as Amazon to perform various tasks such as making online payments, making orders, as well as converse with other people, are always keen on the confidentiality of their information. It is for this reason that Amazon is morally and legally obligated to ensure that their customers’ information is always private and under no circumstances should it be shared. However, most companies do collet this information for telemarketing or sell to other companies (Akcay 2008, p. 121). According to Masruroh and Satria (2018), a Cambridge professor, Dr. Kegan created an app, which was availed to Facebook users. The app was downloaded by at least 300, 000 Facebook users. Upon downloading and entering one’s personal information, it was readily availed to Cambridge Analytica. The data collected is then availed to campaigners to use it in their online advertisements to target potential voters. While all these were being done, the affected Facebook users were not aware that their information was being used without their consent. Such information is usually compressed or merged and used to predict habits (Akcay 2008, p. 121). Most e-commerce and cloud computing companies such as Amazon, which have websites, they do use cookies to gather information about web surfing habits of their views or users. However, if one takes a keen look, if a user does not accept the use of cookies, there is no way they can be able to access the services or information provided by the website (Akcay 2008, p. 121). Generally, even if governments have made laws on privacy issues and these e-commerce and cloud computing businesses providing a notification on the use of cookies, it is an issue that still these companies struggle with and it would take time before it is apprehended to the maximum.
Secondly, another ethical challenge has been Hacking. Most firms that store a lot of information (cloud computing) for its users have been targeted over the years. As more companies that operate on online platforms are targeted, there has been a rise in the number of security breaches. Over the last ten years, more than 10 huge security breaches have been witnessed across the world. One great example of a firm that has suffered huge attacks of security breaches has been the hotel giant Marriott hotel, which is popular in the USA. In two years, the hotel giant had suffered already two security breaches and as a result, the information of more than 5.2 million of its customers was exposed (Bachmann & Corzine 2010, p. 32). Many governments have always advised many firms to be keen on how they patch their online systems so that hackers may not find a loophole that could enable them to access information of the firm’s clients (Bachmann & Corzine 2010, p. 32). In the case of Marriot, after a review of the case by the FBI, it was discovered that the hotel failed two incorporate a two-way step verification process when patching their website. However, technology is advancing at a higher rate and it is difficult for a business to guarantee that its websites are secured (Bachmann & Corzine 2010, p. 34). The exposure of the data on the clients to the hackers can be used to solicit funds from the clients by blackmail considering that most of the hotel’s clients were VIPs. At the same time, in the case of Analytica, and other cloud computing firms, while the information was not hacked, the reality is that if the information falls on the wrong hands it can be misused.
Thirdly, another challenge has been the infringement of copyright or copyrights. This ethical issue has mostly affected the film and music industry. Currently, most musicians and production houses, such as the Universal studios, do lose a lot of income as a result of piracy and infringement of property rights. While firms such as YouTube have tried to put measures in place to ensure that the ownership of the creators’ content is upheld, there are still many cases where content creators have complained about these infringements. On the other hand, internet users can access music and films via the internet since they are readily provided via many cloud computing business websites (Cole & Banerjee 2013, 563). Consumers have sighted that most of the CDs for these movies and music are expensive and this is the crucial reason why most of them opt to surveil social media sites and websites to download free versions of these movies and music (Akcay 2008, p. 122). Although technology is a big part of how businesses are run, there have been grievances on how it can be used by the third-party to infringe on the property rights of the owners. According to a report by the Intellectual Property Commission (2013), it is estimated that the U.S economy losses at least $225 billion as a result of counterfeited goods, theft of trade secrets, and pirated software, among others. Despite this figure being so high, it is estimated that this figure could rise to $ 600 billion if proper measures are not put in place to counter the effect of property rights. While it is the role of government to ensure that the ethical issue of property and copyright is dealt with, most of the companies in the media industry ought to come up with ways in which they can save their businesses or at no point infringe the property right of a colleague in the field of business (De George 2008, p. 211). Most companies have been sued for using trademarks of other business entities in adverts or their products without seeking consent and this has proven to be an issue.
Lastly, trust is another ethical challenge. With the current trend of Artificial intelligence, big data, e-commerce, and cloud computing platforms Amazon and algorithms have made it hard for customers to trust business (Martin, Shilton & Smith 2019, p. 310). At times, some customers would resist to open online accounts or even open certain websites due to their trust issues of these sites. On the other hand, the rise in the number of hackings across the world has even made it relevant for consumers or online users to question the security and the responsibility of e-commerce companies in protecting their information. Trust is always described as someone’s volition to make himself or herself vulnerable to the given party. For this to occur, a business would have to guarantee that the safety of consumers’ persona information is upheld at all costs. On the other hand, the consumers’ or users’ trust can be affected by how an e-commerce company system or mode of operation is designed (Cole & Banerjee 2013, 563). For instance, customers may over trust certain technologies that are used by a given business based on their design while as well have issues with those, whose design is not appealing or trustworthy. Trust is a vital factor for most e-commerce and cloud computing businesses if they are to attract customers on their sites.
To sum up, while new devices and technological advances may make the day-to-day operations of running a business easier, they also create challenges that the ethical businessperson must contend with. Therefore, there is a need for business people to identify some of the ethical challenges that arise as a result of the use or invention of various technologies. For example, businesses that operate in the e-commerce and cloud computing business, such as Amazon are faced with the rise of ethical challenges such as infringement of copyrights, violation of privacy, and trust issues from the side of customers or users. However, if business people are aware of these ethical challenges, they can easily navigate their particular industry in terms of gaining new customers or users, as well as growing their brand.
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