Ethical Dilemmas Created by Technological Advancements

     In terms of ethical dilemmas in communication, technological innovations have created ethical concerns involving: “consent and privacy, security, inclusion and fairness, protection from online harm, transparency and accountability” (Schoentgen & Wilkinson, 2021). Consent and privacy have remained a concern for users, especially after a Facebook data breach led to “phone numbers, full names, locations, some email addresses, and other details from 533 million Facebook users in 106 countries to be posted on an amateur hacking forum” (Bowman, 2021). A “gray area” in the ethics of technology can be found in the government's request that smartphones have an alternative access point, which grants the government access to your device in times of crime or emergency. Although the government claims it would only be allowed to access each device once, Apple feels that this strongly goes against their values and the privacy of their consumers. In modern society, smartphones are seen as an extension of one’s identity. Smartphones, specifically iPhones, “can hold nearly unlimited personal information, ranging from bank accounts and birth records to precious life moments captured by video” (Garcia, 2017).

    The debate (Apple vs the FBI) occurred after a judge requested that Apple provide the FBI with reasonable technical support, in regards to an iPhone of a suspect. In 2015, “Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik went on a shooting spree at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino California, killing 14 people and critically injuring 22 others, in addition to a failed bombing attempt” (Zynda, 2020). After the FBI failed to unlock one of the suspect’s iPhones, the Justice Department decided to involve Apple. While the tech company did provide the FBI with technical support they ultimately refused to unlock the phone or build a backdoor. Apple believes that there is no way to control how many times the technology would be used and to what extent the technology would be used for. “The government could extend this breach of privacy and demand that Apple build surveillance software to intercept your messages, access your health records or financial data, track your location, or even access your phone’s microphone or camera without your knowledge” (Cook, 2016).

    Other tech companies like: Google, Microsoft, and Facebook came to Apple’s defense, claiming that the government’s demands were unconstitutional. As discussed by Ingraham (2019), the debate between Apple and the FBI hit a standstill after the FBI paid $900,000 to a company to hack the suspect’s iPhone open. Although the FBI claimed the identity of the company who hacked the iPhone was classified, in 2021 it was revealed to be an Australian hacking firm. “Azimuth Security, a publicity-shy company that says it sells its cyber wares only to democratic governments, secretly crafted the solution the FBI used to gain access to the device” (Nakashima & Albergotti, 2021). Overall, this case questions how much consumer privacy is worth and to what extent the government is responsible for ensuring that privacy? 

References

Bowman, E. (2021). After Data Breach Exposes 530 Million, Facebook Says It Will Not Notify Users. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2021/04/09/986005820/after-data-breach-exposes-530-million-facebook-says-it-will-not-notify-users 

Cook, T. (2016). A Message to Our Customers. Apple. https://www.apple.com/customer-letter/

Garcia, A. (2017). Not all heroes wear capes: Microsoft and Apple v. the department of justice. Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution, 25(1), 78-[ii]. 

Ingraham, N. (2019). $900,000 to unlock San Bernardino iPhone. Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017-05-08-fbi-paid-900000-to-unlock-san-bernardino-iphone.html#:~:text=Senator%20confirms%20FBI%20paid%20%24900%2C000%20to%20unlock%20San%20Bernardino%20iPhone%20%7C%20Engadget 

Nakashima, E., & Albergotti, R. (2021). The FBI wanted to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone. It turned to a little-known Australian firm. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/04/14/azimuth-san-bernardino-apple-iphone-fbi/ 

Schoentgen, A., & Wilkinson, L. (2021). Ethical issues in digital technologies. 23rd Biennial Conference of the International Telecommunications Society (ITS): "Digital societies and industrial transformations: Policies, markets, and technologies in a postCovid world". International Telecommunications Society (ITS), Calgary 

Zynda, Z. R. (2020). The FBI v Apple. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fbi-v-apple-zachary-zynda/