MIS CASE STUDY (CHAPTER 12) ETHICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN INFORMATION SYSTEM

Chapter 12: Ethical and Social Issues in Information System

Question 1:    

Why do cell phone manufacturers (Apple, Google, and BlackBerry) want to track where their go?

Cell phone manufacturers want to track where their go becausethey collect this data for advertising and marketing purposes. Mobile technologies based on the smartphone make it possible to locate people throughout the day, to report thereabouts is information to corporate data base, retain and analyze the information. After analyze the information, they sell the information to advertisers and others. A number of firms have adopted business models based on the ability of smartphone to report on your whereabouts, whether or not you choose to do so. Besides, law enforcement agencies certainly have an interest in knowing the whereabouts of criminals and suspects, and of course divorce lawyers often want to document where a spouse might be locate over long period of time. Location data gathered from cell phones has extraordinary commercial value because advertising companies can send you advertisements, coupons, and flash bargains, based on where you are located. The market for location-based services in 2011 is expected to be $2.9 billion, and will rise to $8.3 billion in 2014 according to Gartner. This is why cell phone manufacturers want to track where their go.

Question 2:

Do you think cell phone customers should be able to turn tracking off? Should customers be informed when they are being tracked? Why or why not?

Yes, I think that there should be a feature to turn such system off. This system should make it more flexible to its consumers. In this modernized society, most people especially teenagers would like to have their own privacy and would like to find some space to express their emotions. If such tracking system could not be turned off, how are they going to have their own privacy? In fact, most of the VVIP personnel would not like to be tracked as well. Their daily routine would not like to be exposed to anyone including the cell phone manufacturers as most of these people will have their own private invitation or private ceremony to attend. It will be unsafe if their whereabouts are being tracked by someone.

The user should be notified when they are being tracked as well. If the system could not be turned off and it will not notified the user, it will be dangerous and may lead to serious crime. For instance, if a user is being tracked by someone, he or she will be in danger if he or she is being tracked by a robber or in a worst case scenario, a kidnapper. This will actually ease these people to commit crime.

Question 3:

Do you think cell phone tracking is a violation of a person’s privacy?

Cell phone tracking is indeed an invasion of privacy. It is an undeniable fact that no one would like to be tracked by someone else, regardless who they are. People tend to seek a private space for themselves whenever they are having their personal problems that do not want to share with others. If such system is installed into a cell phone, the user might feel unsafe and uncomfortable when using it. It is like he or she is being followed by others all the time even when he or she is going to a washroom. Furthermore, it will violate one’s privacy if his or her whereabouts are being exposed or being known by someone else. Those VVIP personnel would like to keep their whereabouts as secret because they would not like to be followed by others as their whereabouts may be brought into media. This will actually harass and disturb their daily life. This case will become worst if it leads to crime. In a nutshell, privacy should be the major concern to the implementation of this system, same thing should go to personal safety.