Week 3 Reflection
Prompt:
What are some of the things you are concerned about ethically with using technology to teach or conduct research that we did not talk about?
How might you address these?
Think deeply and try to avoid surface level responses.
Reflection:
I am most concerned about ethically the collection of biometric data when using technology. My concern is over the potential for the data to be sold to 3rd parties and for the quality and internal controls for regarding the storage of this biometric data. Biometric data is likely more readily collected than any tech user is aware. While many individuals use different wearable technologies to track and monitor their health and/or accessing their machines, my concern is that a bad actor or entity can engage in unethical behaviors to access and utilize this data beyond what a general user may be aware of.
Wearable technologies collect all kinds of biometric data. This can be a primary purpose for some devices. Technology companies sell watches, ring, bracelets, etc., that can collect data like a user’s heartrate, hear rate variability, oxygen level, and body temperature, just to name a few. These devices provide consumers with recaps of their physiological changes throughout the day, and can spot trends over time. Outside of such devices, other devices like smartphones, also use technologies like retina and facial recognition software, and fingerprint readers that provide faster access to a user’s device. While it is convenient, these metrics all become data that is stored and maintained about users. Wearable medical devices also exist that collect users’ data for medical purposes. Qualifying eligible patients needing a sleep study can now take a device home and get the sleep study results without the need to sleep in a sleep lab. Dermatology patients can upload photos to a health management system for a dermatologist to monitor the progress of a sleep therapeutic. Such technological advances have increased the convenience of biometric data collection and have increased the number of everyday citizens using such devices.
While there are plenty of benefits to such biometric data, there is also the opportunity for unethical uses that put the safety and privacy of users at risk. First, any entity that stores this data has some level of risk of a bad actor accessing the information. This could be through an unfortified area relating to the security, or by way of someone working on the inside. Second, entities could unethically sell the data or use it as a leverage with another entity for a business transaction. Finally, the data could be used for a profit or means to create additional profit. For example, a healthcare company may assess the data of a patient to justify charging a higher rate of service or insurance by deeming a patient as unhealthy or high-risk. Over time, collecting more and more of this data may create unique profiles for individual users. With more and more data, and the uniqueness of each user’s lifestyle, one may argue that big biometric data can be considered personally identifiable information (PII).
Moving forward in time, researchers, policymakers, and through advocacy and accountability of everyday citizens, a push towards creating policies and practices that safeguard and promote the sensitivity of biometric data, may reduce the likelihood of negative long-term outcomes for users of devices that collect biometric data. Additionally, while legality of these devices is spelled out in the user’s terms and agreement, there is a need to more visibly and simply state what a user is agreeing to when using these devices.
