Introduction
In today’s world, information spreads quickly and easily, so the scale of this action is already striking. However, the ease of transmitting large amounts of data can be a problem when it comes to misinformation and difficulties in finding the truth. This essay will discuss the article “Ethical Issues in Patient Data Ownership” by Chiruvella and Guddati (2021).
In this article, the authors discuss the problems associated with illegally disseminating data that patients provide to medical institutions. This analysis will be based on a specific event in 2020 in Norway with Grindr. In health, technologies cannot be used to demonstrate unethical behavior, and specialists cannot process their data without the patient’s permission.
Discussion
In their work, the article’s authors, Chiruvella and Guddati (2021), describe the ethical implications that healthcare institutions may have if they apply unethical data-processing techniques (Chiruvella & Guddati 2021). For example, institutions may illegally transfer data from their patients to other sources that may later be used by third parties to advertise or offer additional services.
A clear example is the 2020 specific event in Norway when the Norwegian Consumer Council filed a complaint against Grindr LLC (Europa. Eu, 2021). The prosecution stated that the company illegally transferred customer data to third parties to carry out their marketing plans. The data transmitted included IP addresses, age, gender, and location. Thus, the data recipients have the potential to exploit them, and there is no guarantee that the data will be securely stored or leaked.
The ethical problem of unlawful data sharing is multifaceted, but its core lies in the people who decide on data dissemination. Companies’ actions create a sense of insecurity and undermine customers’ trust (Wynn, 2022). When companies or individuals unethically deal with other people’s identities, they create panic and distrust in society, negatively affecting their credibility.
In the ethical context, the existence of moral responsibility on the part of people who share clients’ data remains an important issue. Dissemination of customers’ data harms society, becomes political manipulation, and provokes group conflicts. If personal data were acquired by someone who later wished to manipulate them, that fact automatically undermined the image of a just society. The ethical problem is that some people intentionally share the data with third persons, damaging public peace irreparably.
As for the biblical worldview on the problems, it proposes steps to preserve ethical behavior, morality, and the importance of truth. The Bible consists of many moral principles that help resolve most, if not all, ethical dilemmas, even in modern society. These actions can be helpful where the human right to own and not disseminate information is protected.
First, the Bible pays excellent attention to the importance of honesty for human life. For example, Proverbs 12:22 emphasizes the need for openness and justice because it is claimed that God loves righteous and trustworthy people (The English Standard Version Bible, 2009). Secondly, an important biblical concept emphasizes expressing love and care for the neighbor, which means a kind and respectful attitude towards every member of society (The English Standard Version Bible, 2009). Disclosure of personal information to third parties is a disrespect to their boundaries.
The Bible also pays great attention to the individual’s responsibility for their actions. Those who knowingly bring inconvenience to the public must be aware of their moral responsibility for actions and the potential harm that can be done to society. Finally, the Bible also emphasizes preserving the wisdom and simplicity of human action. No person should have difficulty because third parties were involved in disseminating personal information that should have been kept safe. If we analyze the problem of sharing confidential information of the clients from a biblical viewpoint, we can say that these acts attack truth and ethics. This violates justice and harmony in society, which is already a contemporary ethical problem.
Conclusion
Finally, the article by Chiruvella and Guddati (2021) focuses on the ethical problem of disseminating confidential information on the Internet to third parties. In the digital age, this problem is particularly relevant, as information is spread quickly and easily, allowing everyone to do anything they want. Disseminating customer information that was to be protected as confidential may affect other members of society. It can have serious unpleasant consequences, which contribute to the spread of public mistrust and panic.
In the biblical worldview, such actions cause direct harm to others and are contrary to the principles of morality. According to these principles, everyone should be honest and responsible for their actions, promoting societal understanding. By following these principles, humanity will be able to build a more just and fair society in which every citizen will feel secure and secure.
References
Chiruvella, V., & Guddati, A. K. (2021). Ethical issues in patient data ownership. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 10(2). Web.
Norwegian DPA imposes fine against Grindr LLC. (2021). Europa.Eu. Web.
The English Standard Version Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments with Apocrypha. (2009). Oxford University Press.
Wynn, M. (2022). Truth and Christian ethics: A narrativalperspective. Studies in Christian Ethics, 35(1), 22–35. Web.