Introduction
Data mining encompasses obtaining of identified patterns by collecting their information and summarizing it on various websites such as content page, use logs, and hyperlink. However, numerous organizations experience an expansion of customer base through data mining to improve their relations with customers and acquire a competitive advantage over their competitors. The essay exemplifies various implications of data mining and their ethical infringement on consumers without their consent.
Customer Profile
Accessing customer’s personal information from companies that serve them provides a leeway of unethical conducts as their movement and purchases are tracked using data mining technology. All these can be achieved as they construct the profile of clients and save them besides gaining intelligence within the targeted market. Such infringement of privacy through mining of data’s acts as a threat to consumers ethical values since the individual’s lack autonomous control over their data (Roush, 2006). The content and structure forms of data mining tend to create a customer profile and subsequently judge them on the basis of their traits instead of their merit thereby infringing on their privacy and personal life. The private information and other data about individuals when published on organizations websites expose the customers to the security threat and feel uncomfortable in the public without their consent. Such situations prove to be malicious unethical and exposing a person’s weakness that may be used against them. However, where a person is not aware of their data mining, they may feel threatened if their personal information is exposed to the public and misused hence withdrawing their services from such company that will, in turn, affect their images when grievances made to relevant institutions.
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Benefits of Data Mining
The benefits of data mining entail improvement in search engines thereby increasing the efficiency of intelligence level in analyzing the market trends through the web users (Rahman, & Ramos, 2013). Moreover, the web technology assists organizations in determining the number of new customers, the feedback of clients that are used to conduct a performance appraisal and enhancing their services. In addition, it also facilitates internal audit within the firm by determining the operational costs and also analyzing the rate of consumption of consumers. Besides, online selling of products has increased profit marginalization costs through intelligence in marketing strategy that categorizes customers profile according to their activity and ability to purchase. Such companies also offer personalized services and identify potential consumers and rank them according to their rate of purchase besides notifying them of new trends of products within the market.
Content Mining
Content mining occurs in various categories such as video, audio, and graphic images thereby obtaining all crucial information and transactions through usage mining. However, mining structure aims at linking personal information from various sites such bank details and sensitive documents like invoices and payments thus risking the financial status of an individual from theft (Quigley, 2007). Furthermore, the combination of both content and structure mining results to hyperlink that avails personal information of a person within the shortest time possible and can be linked to various websites simultaneously. Since personal information is fragile and sensitive, internet access to them can result in any person using your private details in opening other illegal accounts and transactions without the owner realizing thus damaging their images such as promotion in the workplace or even loss of a job. Therefore, disseminating information without the owner’s approval or consent is disastrous to their acquisition of property and trust among colleagues thus resulting to a negative impact on a person’s character especially within the society.
Besides, use of snap chats as a form of communication among some companies where images can be shared and stored for a lifetime since it cannot be deleted hence a person can create a profile using your own profile (Shontel, 2013). Such cases are numerous in twitter accounts with people creating fake accounts without the original user's consent. In addition, storage of images in androids archives can be retrieved easily from the recipients as companies use those details as profile clients to attract more consumers. For instance, images and screenshots obtained from snap chats can be used by the organization in adverts and on billboards to market their products without the owner’s consent thus breaching their ethical values and feel insecure in public. Also, government directories expose the personal details of an individual for instance filing of tax returns as anyone can identify your location once they obtain the details and leak valuable data which is unethical (Shontel, 2013). Besides, emails messages can be created and leaked without an individual approval especially among institutions hence infringing on a person’s right to privacy.
Leaking of emails from scammers such as indicating the changes in a firm’s policy to customers can be misleading and deprive them their services without their consent which may prove to be expensive and damage profiles of clients. Such misleading information may also result in loss of clients and potential consumers from companies because of infringement of their personal information thus suffering from financial loss. In addition, insurance firms may also obtain data from their clients who own vehicles and other properties by divulging their net worth and other assets against their wish and terms of service implicates the privacy of clients from further working with such organizations in the near future (Quain, 2011). Contrarily, OnStar data obtained from clients such as those owning vehicles, their location, and odometer readings are allowed to be shared by the relevant transport and infrastructure authorities that may be against the wish of their clients.
In addition, other companies share information of their clients of different organizations such as the location of residence that is against the right of an individual privacy hence resulting in unethical conducts. Upon realization of such mischievous behaviors, clients may opt to join other related but different companies that can adhere to their personal information from being shared especially with the public without their knowledge. Moreover, telecommunication companies obtain personal data of individuals and monitor their information without their knowledge thereby making clients feel insecure (Palmer, 2010). Telecommunication companies also tap the conversation of their customers without their approvals and share their data to other related services that result to the recipient receiving anonymous calls which aggregate to loss of privacy. Also, hackers breaches marketing techniques of their companies by data mining the client's information and swindle them of their assets and some threaten their life if they do not corporate with them. Navigation of cell phone devices resulted in some companies being sued in court such as the OnStar by their clients for infringing on their private life without their consent hence paying for liabilities and damages when found guilty.
Ultimately, the emergence of cybercrime from people who use algorithms to access the sensitive documents of an institution and funds of organizations results in major loss of innocent customers. For instance, there has been the global rise of cybercrime syndicate where financial institutions such as banks are swindled of huge sums of cash hence incur loose. However such predicaments are usually made secretively upon detection at managerial level to avoid the frustration of clients who upon realization may opt for other institutions services where they will secure their resources. Besides, data obtained from clients from such scenarios may repeatedly acquire and upon realization, they incur a huge financial loss and result in suing the bank. Changing data patterns in accessing the customer's profile has led to consumers only revealing their personal details to few and necessary organizations to avoid embarrassments of their privacy.
Conclusion
Spying of personal documents has also contributed immensely to the growth of unethical conducts with data mining taking center stage as experts compose similar username as the owner of the profile account. Most of those activities are undertaken on the internet through (Tavani, 2011). There are programmed sites that leak the confidential documents of a company to their competitors and gain competitive advantages falsely. Such people also hide software’s from organizations and cause damages to important documents stored in hard drives of computers thus stagnating the operations of the company and sometimes cause financial loss. Besides, downloading of illegal company features and logos to produce fake and counterfeit products that hoodwink their clients has negatively impacted most companies and offered to invest in technology security to avoid loss of clients and potential customers (Tavani, 2011).The private information and other data about individuals when published on organizations websites expose the customers to the security threat and feel uncomfortable in the public without their consent.
References
Palmer, D. E. (Ed.). (2010). Ethical Issues in E-Business: Models and Frameworks: Models and Frameworks. IGI Global.
Quain, J. R. (2011, September 22). Changes to OnStar’s Privacy Terms Rile Some Users. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from https://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/22/changes-to-onstars-privacy-terms-rile-some-users/
Quigley, M. (Ed.). (2007). Encyclopedia of information ethics and security. IGI Global.
Rahman, H., & Ramos, I. (Eds.). (2013). Ethical data mining applications for socio-economic development. IGI Global.
Roush, W. (2006, May 21). Inside the Spyware Scandal. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from http://130.18.86.27/faculty/warkentin/SecurityPapers/Merrill/Roush2006_Rootkit_Spyware.pdf
Shontel, A. (2013, May 9). Actually, Snapchat Doesn't Delete Your Private Pictures and Someone Found A Way To Resurface Them. Retrieved November 17, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/snapchat-doesnt-delete-your-private-pictures-2013-5
Tavani, H. T. (2011). Ethics and technology: Controversies, questions, and strategies for ethical computing. John Wiley & Sons.
