Tech Thoughts #1 For this week’s discussion, I’ve decided to read up on a topic that has been around since the start of Facebook. While they were not the first to do so, they’re considered the most prominent one in this particular field, which is the act of collecting and selling user data to other parties. Although this topic is old, it’s still very relevant in the present day. For instance, as I went on my search to find an article to discuss this topic, unsurprisingly, I quickly found one. It’s not about Apple or the many other web giants but about household tech. In this Tech Thought, I’ll try to discuss the ethics of collecting user data. The article I found was from Gizmodo by Matthew Gault, titled “Merry Christmas, Your New Air Fryer Is Spying on You.” If the title hadn’t already clued you in yet, the article is about how household items are collecting data on us, particularly app-connected devices. The part that interests me the most is where Gault details a report from the U.K. consumer advocacy group, which found that some of the apps from top-rated devices on Amazon were collecting information and sending it directly to data servers. While I can see why an app may need some personal information from the user, such as a date of birth, it certainly doesn’t need to know your browsing history, contact information, or other personal information that doesn’t improve the app’s experience. In my opinion, it’s a sad reality we live in, and will be for the foreseeable future due to how much influence these groups have. At this point of the discussion, I’m supposed to state what the ethical reasoning or code is, but I’m not sure what they are at the moment, so I’ll just use some that I already know of from my previous ethics classes. When thinking about the issues surrounding collecting data on users, one particular reasoning comes to mind, Kant’s Formula of Humanity. This view is often used to represent what it means to respect others. Although the golden rule also comes to mind, it has a major problem, which is that not everyone wants to be treated the same way. Anyways, Kant’s Formula of Humanity allows us to still use people but in a respectful way rather than simply using them, which is what we need from this situation. I feel that the main reason why this topic is typically considered unethical is because of how companies try to trick and manipulate people into giving them data, which is simply using them as a means rather than seeing them as individuals who should be treated with respect. One solution could be that instead of trying to trick individuals, companies should simply ask them for permission to collect it (in a non-obtuse way). Obviously, this will not happen 1 Artem Suprun CS305 Winter 01/12/25 unless required by law because companies want to stay running, and asking users if they want to willingly give their information isn’t really a profitable method. Sadly, I don’t see many other solutions to this problem due to the nature of it. If someone were to go to another competitor's app, who is to say they won’t eventually do the same thing as well? The optimal solution would be to make it required by law, but that option may never come. Overall, all you can really do is do your research into devices, look into settings, and try not to give too much information about yourself online. Citation: https://gizmodo.com/merry-christmas-your-new-air-fryer-is-spying-on-you-2000539195