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DisCussion Questions

1. We’ve used Kant’s categorical imperative as one crite- c. Assume the online gambling vendor says, “Look,
rion for assessing ethical behavior: Act as if you would it’s not us; it’s Grandma. We provide fair and honest
have your behavior be a universal law. As a litmus test of games. If Grandma likes to play games where the
this principle, we’ve said that if you’re willing to publish odds of winning are low, talk to Grandma.” Assume
your behavior in The New York Times, then your behavior in your answer that the gaming company has gone
conforms to the categorical imperative. to great lengths to provide the elderly with an emo-
a. Consider the inverse of that litmus test. Is it true tionally rewarding UX for games with low winning
that if you’re not willing to publish your behavior in odds. Does the vendor’s posture absolve it of any
The New York Times, it is unethical? (You might find ethical considerations for Grandma’s losses?
it easier to consider this question in a different but 4. If all of your behavior is ethical, then, according to the
equivalent form: Your behavior is ethical if and only categorical imperative, you are willing to have your life
if you’re willing to publish it in The New York Times.) story printed in The New York Times. Thus, you needn’t
b. Considering your answer to question a, if data bro- be concerned about the data and business intelligence
kers are unwilling to say what data they are collect- created about you. However, consider the following:
ing and how they are processing it, is it reasonable to a. Suppose, as the most junior member of a club, you are
conclude their behavior is unethical? Explain your required to purchase beer for your club’s bi-monthly
answer. beer fest. To obtain a substantial discount from the
2. Using business intelligence applied to consumer pur- vendor, you use your customer loyalty card for these
chasing data for targeted marketing seems innocuous purchases. A data aggregator obtains your purchase
enough. However, is it? Using both the categorical im- history and classifies you as a heavy drinker. Unknown
perative (pages 56–57) and utilitarian (pages 92–93) to you, the data aggregator informs your medical insur-
perspectives, assess the ethics of the following: ance company of its classification. Your insurance pre-
a. Some people, whether from genetic factors, habit, miums increase, and you never know why. Using either
lack of education, or other factors, are prone to over- the categorical imperative or utilitarianism, is there an
eating junk food. By focusing junk food sales offers at ethical problem here?
this market segment, data brokers or their customers b. Do you think something should be done to reduce
are promoting obesity. Is their behavior ethical? the likelihood of situations like that in question a? If
b. Data brokers claim they can reliably infer ethnicity so, what?
from consumer behavior data. Suppose they also c. Suppose you have a personal medical problem that
determine that one ethnic group is more likely to you wish to keep private. Your condition requires you
attend college than others. Accordingly, they focus to purchase a particular set of off-the-shelf products
the marketing for college-prep materials, scholar- from the pharmacy at your grocery store. A data
ships, and university admissions applications on this aggregator observes your purchasing pattern, infers
ethnic group. Over time, that group will be guided your problem, and sends you coupons and other pro-
into positive (assuming you believe college is positive) motional products that clearly identify your condi-
decisions that other groups will not. Is this behavior tion. Against your strongest wishes, your roommates
different from ethnic profiling? Is it ethical? become aware of your medical problem. Using either
3. Suppose a data broker correctly identifies that your the categorical imperative or utilitarianism, is there
grandmother is addicted to playing online hearts. an ethical problem here?
From its business intelligence, it knows that frequent d. Do you think something should be done to reduce
hearts players are strong prospects for online gambling. the likelihood of situations like that in question c? If
Accordingly, the data broker refers your grandmother’s so, what?
data to an online gambling vendor, one of its custom- 5. According to the Privacy Act of 1974, the U.S. govern-
ers. Grandma gets hooked and loses all of her savings, ment is prohibited from storing many types of data about
including money earmarked for your college tuition. U.S. citizens. The act does not, however, prohibit it from
a. Is the data broker’s behavior ethical? purchasing business intelligence from data brokers. If the
b. Assume the data broker says, “Look, it’s not us, it’s our government purchases business intelligence that is based,
customer, the online gambling vendor, that’s causing in part, on data that it is prohibited from storing, is the
the problem.” Does the broker’s posture absolve it of government’s behavior ethical? Use both the categorical
ethical considerations for Grandma’s losses? imperative and utilitarian perspectives in your answer.