D773 Technology and Ethics- Emerging Trends and Society Task 2 2026 complete update new working vers

D773 Technology and Ethics- Emerging Trends and Society Task 2 2026 complete update new working version Western Governors University

Technology and Ethics: Emerging Trends and Society D773 – Task 2 College of Elementary Education, Western Governors University Name of Instructor: Ashley Mays Yahl

A1- social media What are some potential privacy and ethical issues associated with using social media?

There are several privacy and ethical issues associated with using social media. These concerns span individual rights, societal impacts, and corporate responsibilities. Here are some of the most significant ones: 1. Privacy Issues •

Data Collection and Surveillance: Social media platforms collect vast amounts of personal data, including location, browsing habits, and even private messages. This data can be used for targeted advertising or sold to third parties.

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Lack of Informed Consent: Users often agree to the terms of service without fully understanding how their data will be used or shared.

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Data Breaches: Platforms are frequent targets for cyberattacks, which can lead to the exposure of sensitive user information.

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Facial Recognition and Biometrics: Some platforms use facial recognition technology, raising concerns about surveillance and consent. (Copilot,2023)

2. Ethical Issues •

Misinformation and Disinformation: Social media can rapidly spread false or misleading information, affecting public opinion, health decisions, and elections.

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Algorithmic Bias: Algorithms that curate content can reinforce stereotypes, promote echo chambers, or marginalize certain groups.

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Mental Health Impacts: Excessive use and exposure to curated content can lead to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, especially among younger users.

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Manipulation and Addiction: Platforms are designed to maximize engagement, often using psychological techniques that can lead to addictive behaviors.

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Digital Footprint and Permanence: Content shared online can remain accessible indefinitely, affecting future opportunities like employment or education. (Copiot,2023)

A2- Online Banking What are some potential privacy and ethical issues associated with online banking?

Online banking offers convenience and efficiency, but it also raises several privacy and ethical concerns. Here are some of the key issues: 1. Privacy Issues •

Data Breaches and Cyberattacks: Banks are prime targets for hackers. A breach can expose sensitive personal and financial data, including account numbers, Social Security numbers, and transaction histories.

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Tracking and Profiling: Banks may track user behavior across platforms to build profiles for marketing or risk assessment, often without explicit user consent.

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Third-Party Sharing: Financial institutions may share data with third-party vendors or affiliates, raising concerns about how securely that data is handled.

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Inadequate Encryption: If data is not properly encrypted during transmission or storage, it becomes vulnerable to interception and misuse. (Copilot,2023)

2. Ethical Issues •

Informed Consent: Users may not fully understand the terms and conditions they agree to, especially regarding how their data is used or shared.

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Digital Divide: Not everyone has equal access to online banking services, which can exacerbate financial inequality, especially among the elderly or those in rural areas.

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Algorithmic Bias: Automated systems used for credit scoring or fraud detection may unintentionally discriminate against certain groups based on biased data.

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Over-Reliance on Automation: Automated decision-making in loan approvals or fraud detection can lead to errors or unfair denials without human oversight. (Copilot,2023)

B1- One individual privacy issue that was not accounted for in the Copilot-generated responses for social media was Phishing, which is a serious scam where criminals try to trick people into giving away their personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, by pretending to be a trustworthy source. They use fake emails, urgent messages, and deceptive links to lure individuals into sharing sensitive data. These scams not only risk personal information but can also compromise the data collected by governments and companies. (WGU,2020) B2- Utilitarianism assesses the morality of actions based on their outcomes or consequences.

When applied to the protection of personal information, this ethical framework focuses on the potential outcomes of data breaches and the broader impacts of privacy violations. From a utilitarian viewpoint, the ethical imperative solution to safeguard personal information is justified by the need to prevent the significant negative consequences of data breaches and to promote the well-being of individuals and institutions. The trust maintained between individuals and institutions is a positive outcome that fosters a stable and reliable environment. Utilitarianism also argues that the ethical duty to protect data stems from the need to maximize positive outcomes and minimize harm. (WGU,2020)

C1- One strategy that an individual should apply when using social media is to clear the cookies that store small pieces of data. It’s important to regularly clear your browser cookies and use privacy modes like Incognito Mode to prevent unnecessary tracking. Consider using browsers that prioritize user privacy. This practice helps ensure your data is not misused or shared without consent. Managing these cookies through browser settings would reduce the tracking of personal data. (WGU,2020) C2- The steps that an individual should apply whenever they use AI to generate a response to ensure the response is accurate and free from bias are: 1- Craft clear and specific prompts: avoid vague instructions and be precise in your queries to

generate more accurate AI outputs and a more focused response than a vague request.

2- Evaluate AI responses: always review and fact-check AI-generated content to ensure its

relevance and accuracy.

3- Respect Privacy: Avoid sharing sensitive or private data when using AI tools. AI systems often

process large amounts of data, including personal or sensitive information. It is essential to be cautious about what data is input into AI tools. Users should avoid sharing private or confidential information unless the system has highly secure security measures.

4- Be aware of bias: recognize that AI systems may reflect biases from their training data and

critically assess the output for fairness. AI systems can generate biased or incorrect information, and it is the responsibility of the user to review, verify, and edit the output accordingly. These biases can result in outputs that perpetuate stereotypes or inequities. Users must recognize and mitigate such biases, especially when using AI to assist with decision-making processes or generating content. Critical evaluation of AI outputs is a crucial responsibility for all users.

5- Maintain academic integrity: Use AI to supplement your learning, not as a substitute for

original thinking and work. When engaging with AI, learners must ensure that the work they submit represents their personal understanding and thought process. AI should be used to support learning, not replace critical thinking. Over-reliance on AI to generate assignments or research papers can lead to academic misconduct, such as plagiarism. (WGU,2020)

C3- The use of generative AI tools potentially introduces additional privacy and ethical concerns in many ways: Privacy Concerns: -Data collection and Training Without consent: AI tools are trained on scraping public data and using it without users' consent.

- Deepfakes and Identity Misuse: AI tools generate fake voices, images, and videos that can impersonate real people for fraud, harassment, and misinformation.

- Surveillance and Behavioral Tracking: Some AI tools enable facial recognition and emotion detection.

Ethical Concerns: -Bias and Discrimination: AI tools reinforce stereotypes due to biased training data.

-Misinformation and Manipulation: AI generates text, images, and videos that spread fake news, propaganda, and scams.

-Lack of Accountability: AI tools can make false decisions, such as false accusations, and in this case, it is unclear who is responsible for this.

References

WGU. (2020). Technology and Ethics: Emerging Trends and Society D773. https://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/459490634.

In-Text: (WGU, 2020) CoPilot Microsoft. (2023). CoPilot. [Large language model]. https://copilot.cloud.microsoft/ Intext: (Microsoft, 2023)