Contribute to Copyright - Ethics and Privacy in an It Environment

CASE STUDY

Read the following scenario and respond to the two questions below.

Scenario

You are contracted by a Network design consultancy company to interview their staff to ascertain their current knowledge. The aim of the study is to inform the company about the type of training courses they need to implement. Therefore you will need to highlight areas of overall weakness as opposed to individual shortcomings.

Consequently, the type of data you collect should be able to identify the weaknesses of individuals. Informed consent clearly states that comments made to you by interviewees are to remain private.

Following the study, a senior assistant Executive Officer of the company approaches you, asking you “who did well in the study?”

Task:

1. Discuss the factors that should affect your actions. Where appropriate, make reference to the ACS Code of Ethics.

This case deals principally with the issue of privacy. The code deals with this in a number of ways. IT professionals are obliged to preserve the integrity and security of other’s information and to consider and respect people’s privacy. The usability engineer is responsible to adequately protect the privacy of their participants. Failing to protect their privacy, even from management within the testing organisation is a breach of the contractual agreement entered into with the study’s participants.

There is a complicating factor in usability testing when video is used. While some types of data gathering such as keystroke analysis or the use of questionnaires permit relatively easy disguising of participant details, the use of video to demonstrate usability testing outcomes can make this near impossible. Though voices can be disguised and video masking can be done, usability testing may be specifically looking at qualities of speech or gaze (Mackay, 1991; Mackay, 1995). In such circumstances management should not see the video; the usability engineer has the expertise and should be relied upon to do their job. Alternatively management should see all remarks so as to be able to make an informed judgment. This alternative is not likely to be acceptable to management however, given time pressures and other commitments. In any case, the consent form would need to show that management will be viewing the videos and/or participating in the observation of participants.

One area in which the moral aspects of privacy in relation to HCI have been explored in depth is that of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) technologies. The following is a brief review of pertinent aspects of this that may prove fruitful for privacy investigations in other areas of HCI. ÒA central feature of CSCW applications is the electronic capture and dissemination of detailed personal information (Clement, 1993, p 34). Fine grained information concerning individual behaviour and performance is available to a wider audience. CSCW privacy issues include equality/reciprocity (what you may see of me is what I may see of you), feedback (knowing what information about oneself is