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Data Ethics for Regular Developers - rubyconf 2018
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Colin
November 13, 2018
Technology
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Data Ethics for Regular Developers - rubyconf 2018
Colin
November 13, 2018
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Transcript
DATA ETHICS FOR REGULAR DEVELOPERS: WHAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT
DATA ETHICS BY PRETENDING TO NOT KNOW WHAT PRINGLES ARE ONLINE COLIN FLEMING @RIDETHECATBUS
CONTENT WARNING • DISCUSSION OF DEATH • DISCUSSION OF ABORTION
CARE
IMAGINE AN INVENTION THAT MAKES TELEPORTATION POSSIBLE
BUT THERE IS A COST
SURPRISE! THE INVENTION IS CARS
DOUBLE SURPRISE! PEOPLE’S DATA IS FUEL
HMM WHAT’S IN THE NEWS TODAY OH DEAR: • EXPERIAN
BREACH? • FACEBOOK/GOOGLE BREACH OF THE MONTH?? • PALANTIR ROBOCOP ALGORITHMS???
REGULAR DEVELOPERS STARE DOWN THESE ETHICAL QUESTIONS ALL THE TIME
OUR ROADMAP FOR THIS TALK: • CRASH COURSE IN ETHICAL
REASONING • IDENTIFYING OUR VALUES • A FEW CASE STUDIES
ETHICS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT IN A WAY INFORMED
BY SHARED AND PERSONAL VALUES (MORE OR LESS)
None
PROGRAMMER CODES OF ETHICS (LIKE THE ASSOCIATION FOR COMPUTING MACHINERY’S)
ARE A THING!
ACM ETHICS SUMMARY: • EVERYONE IS A STAKEHOLDER IN COMPUTING
• AVOID HARM AND PROTECT PRIVACY • AVOID YOLO-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT
THE DC ABORTION FUND’S VALUES (ROUGHLY): • EMPOWER CLIENTS TO
CARRY OUT THEIR CHOICES • ASKING SLIGHTLY INTRUSIVE QUESTIONS IS OKAY IF IT COULD IMPROVE HOW WE WORK
OUR VALUES AS AN ENGINEERING TEAM: • COLLECTING DATA IS
RISKY SO DO IT CAREFULLY • AVOID DOING MAD SCIENCE
THREE CASE STUDIES: • ASKING FOR DATA IN THE FIRST
PLACE • TRACKING IMMIGRATION STATUS • PREDICTIVE MODELING
ETHICAL QUESTIONS TO ASK: • IS THIS IN LINE WITH
OUR VALUES? • DOES THIS PUT PEOPLE IN HARM’S WAY? • WOULD THIS SURPRISE SOMEONE? • WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU BLOW IT?
FIRST: THE POWER DYNAMICS OF ASKING FOR DATA IN THE
FIRST PLACE
FIRST: ASKING FOR DATA: DOES IT PUT PEOPLE IN HARM’S
WAY?
FIRST: ASKING FOR DATA: WOULD THIS SURPRISE SOMEONE?
FIRST: ASKING FOR DATA: WHAT HAPPENS IF WE BLOW IT?
FIRST AND A HALF: THE POWER DYNAMICS OF ASKING FOR
DATA IN THE FIRST PLACE (AS A FOR PROFIT BUSINESS)
SECOND: TRACKING DANGEROUS DATA LIKE IMMIGRATION STATUS
TRACKING IMMIGRATION STATUS BECAUSE IT’S HELPFUL FOR SERVING PATIENTS
NOT TRACKING IMMIGRATION STATUS BECAUSE I.C.E. IS A THING NOW
SECOND AND A HALF: TRACKING DANGEROUS DATA LIKE IMMIGRATION STATUS
(AS A FOR PROFIT BUSINESS)
THIRD: THE ALGO AND PREDICTIVE MODELING
THIRD AND A HALF: THE ALGO AND PREDICTIVE MODELING (AS
A FOR PROFIT BUSINESS)
I’M OUT OF STUFF TO TALK ABOUT: • PREPARE TO
WORK THROUGH ETHICAL QUESTIONS • THINK HARD ABOUT YOUR VALUES AND POWER • CHARGE IN HEADFIRST
THANKS •JAMEY, ETHICAL DECISIONS TRACK CURATOR •SOUND PERSON
I AM: COLIN FLEMING MY EMAIL:
[email protected]
MY TWITTER: @RIDETHECATBUS