A couple of days ago, I experimented to determine whether online apps listen to conversations. My friend and I were sitting at a coffee bar, smartphones on the table, discussing our experiences with purchasing iPhones from online stores. While we were discussing, microphones and cameras on our phones were turned on. After about 24 hours we encountered pop-up ads on our Instagram accounts about buying iPhones from various online stores. Before that day, I could not believe that apps listen to persons. Although it was an unlikely coincidence, it appears like everybody has a story to tell about being listened to on his or her phone.
As I reflect on the incident, I wonder why mobile app developers produce software programs that compromise the privacy of users. While the proliferation of apps in the last decade is a good thing due to advances in information technology, it is unethical to develop software programs that listen to people, most of whom are unaware. There is no doubt that developers aim at generating traffic to their business partners’ online platforms to make profits at the expense of the privacy of users (Shilton and Greene, p. 3).
Technology-based firms like Facebook and Instagram should devise better strategies to improve customer trust while they are using online platforms. It makes an individual uncomfortable to use an app if he or she knows that conversations are being monitored. There should be a difference between profit maximization and ethical considerations (Shilton and Greene, p. 7). I think that it should be a priority for app developers to consider ethical issues that arise from infringing on the privacy of users, as well as their security.
Works Cited
Shilton, Katie, and Daniel Greene. “Linking platforms, practices, and developer ethics: Levers for privacy discourse in mobile application development.” Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 6, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1-16.