ethical challenges facing Facebook

ethical challenges facing Facebook

The success of any organisation is dependent on the sets of behaviour that run and manage the organisation. Having significant policies is essential to the business. However, when there are no appropriate codes of conduct to influence behaviour, set standards and highlight unacceptable behaviour, then there is a risk of the organisation running into trouble with others. Philosophers and thinkers around the world have debated upon the role of ethics in society at different times from the likes of Socrates, Plato all through to Kant and so forth. Each of these great minds has highlighted the need for having codes of conduct to govern behaviour as well as providing arguments for the outcomes of going against these codes of conduct. Depending on what capacity the individual or organisation has in society, these ethical conducts ought to be acceptable and seen to safeguard the well being of the people. Just like how laws are made to maintain law and order, moral codes of conduct are implemented to foster peaceful coexistence with other members of the community. This essay draws attention to the ethical challenges facing Facebook regarding technology and privacy within its platform. It also provides an insight into the threats posed by the organisation in the society and the ethical dilemmas of pursuing its objectives while safeguarding the privacy of its users.

Business ethics refer to the principles undertaken by any organisation in its relationship with other stakeholders, clients and employees in such a way that it sets acceptable norms and value systems that guide its decision-making. These codes of conduct help govern behaviour within and outside the organisation and are essential in building and maintaining relevant relationships[1]. All individuals who are associated with the organisation must then adhere to these codes of conduct so that they support the set standards of operations that not only align to the objectives of the organisation; they also maintain the integrity of the consumers. Additionally, business ethics are conceptualised within the frameworks of right and wrong behaviour that the business undertakes[2]. Here, they are formulated in such a way that they address specific issues facing the organisation concerning ethical dilemmas so that they can inform the nature of decisions made in the wake of these challenges. As such, they provide for the moral obligation of the business in its decision-making process so that the core of their decisions is not centred on profit-making but rather, it is set to adhere to moral responsibility.

The need to make profits may override the moral obligation of companies, which involve themselves in business practises that are not founded on ethical obligations. To them, the most important thing is making profits, and the end justifies the means. As such, business ethics emerged as a way of controlling such behaviour that had found loopholes from government agencies[3]. The success of these codes of conducts depends on the leadership and management of the organisation. Having control that adheres to the ethical considerations of the business of great importance and it underlines the nature of relationships the company has with others. When an individual who has little regard for upholding ethical standards heads the business, it is most likely to face challenges that threaten its wellbeing[4]. Furthermore, stakeholders have the responsibility of checking whether the company adheres to ethical standards and as such, they have the power to influence the business sets its operations to meet ethical standards[5].

Privacy is defined in terms of people, organisations and agencies keeping themselves away from the public domain. Privacy follows that the activities undertaken by the individual or groups are held away from the public in that people have the right to be alone and conduct their affairs away from the public[6]. It is legally binding, and laws are formulated in a bid to protect the privacy of people and groups from being breached by others. To access such information, people need to give their consent, and in the event, these agreements are breached, people have the right to take legal backing. Privacy promotes and safeguards the autonomy of people and other groups, making them pursue activities that are beneficial to them. Ethical considerations are thus compromised when this personal information is used in public domains without the knowledge or consent of the user. Additionally, the need to protect data security and privacy of the users of social media sites poses an ethical dilemma when the users themselves engage in behavior that does not uphold ethical considerations[7].

Advances in technology and communication have benefitted the way information is collected and shared on a global scale. Social media has facilitated the expansion of networks so that sites capture as much data as possible[8]. Facebook is actively involved in the collection and transmission of data through its users spread all over the globe. It has given rise to social capital as an integral part of the business with other organisations using the platform to connect with its consumers. With over a billion users, Facebook provides the industry with a broad scope of useful data into the habits and preferences of its potential consumers and as such, sets the path for an ethical collision course through which Facebook has to decide to safeguard user privacy or make profits from user data[9].

In September 2019, Facebook suspended accounts and applications of up to tens of thousands of users. This comes from the back of investigations into the privacy concerns raised by users that accused the company of breaching their privacy rights and using their personal information for other activities without their consent. The issue of data security and privacy has been associated with the company for several years with concerns raised on the use of personal data for other purposes other than what users signed up for. Facebook is a social media platform that promotes communication around the world. Users sign up by providing information to build profiles for both personal and professional use. In the course of their operations, users get to share a lot of their personal information on Facebook and with system updates; individuals are thus required to disclose more information about themselves. Through Facebook, one can get information on the day-to-day activities of individuals. The issue arises with how this information is used and how the privacy of the users is safeguarded.

The collection and use of data also come in the way of the privacy and security of individuals. People have diverse privacy preferences in that what is reasonable and permissible to one might not be comfortable to another. As such, the use of data becomes increasingly challenging, especially when it has to safeguard the privacy of individuals[10]. Third parties such as Cambridge Analytica have gained access to user information and used it to influence behavior in political and economic processes[11]. It arose from the decision taken by Facebook to share its data with third parties without the consent of its users. From this, users became victims of targetted campaigns[12] and marketing to promote goods and services based on their social footprints. The use of personal data for commercial use is a breach of privacy that has haunted Facebook, and the company has faced increased criticism over its ethical considerations in profit-making.

Attack ads through Facebook were used to direct specific messages to potential voters based on their online activity where they got pop up messages seeking to promote the interests of one candidate over the other[13]. Through its platform, Facebook condoned attack ads that sought to influence the political decisions through the spread of malicious information in a bid to undermine the political credentials of candidates[14]. While politics involves the use of smearing campaigns, the use of personal data to analyse the political behavior of individuals is a significant ethical shortcoming that Facebook involved itself in. As an organisation, Facebook has the responsibility to uphold ethical considerations and values that not only safeguard the interest of the users but also to underpin the social responsibility businesses have towards the community. Through these practises, Facebook failed in upholding data security and privacy, which in turn laid to bear the ethical considerations of the company when presented with ethical dilemmas. On one hand, it had to decide to safeguard the privacy of its users while taking a hit on profits from sales and advertising. On the other hand, it had to decide on making profits from sharing user data, thus breaching the privacy of users. Additionally, these practices are age-specific where messages are constructed in ways that resonate with different age groups based on how frequently they use Facebook as well as the nature of posts they make on the platform[15].

The management of business ethics is essential in any given organisation. It sets the tone of behavior on appropriate actions to be taken in the wake of ethical considerations. Usually, this goes beyond the workplace, and as such, management of these ethics is reflected in how the organisation sets itself in society. The morality of business decisions is essential in that it helps to underline the objectives and values of the company through its operations. As such, all transactions, partnerships, investments and expansions are made about ethical conducts. Businesses have hit rough patches for dealing with individuals or organisations with questionable character and value system. Additionally, business ethics are threatened by the corporate world[16] driven by hitting targets and making huge profit margins while undermining value systems.

Organisations ought to put measures in place that address numerous ethical considerations within their structures so that the values of the company are aligned with its operations and conduct. As such, the organisation should create a business atmosphere that is guided by appropriate behaviour and ethical codes of conduct because of the responsibility it has towards its employees, consumers and other stakeholders. Instances of ethical misconduct[17] should be flagged and mitigated in ways that offer long term solutions. Moreover, misuse of company resources for profits is not an appropriate business ethic, and legislation has been put into place to inhibit their occurrence, especially when such resources can influence consumer behavior.

Facebook has set up structures aimed at managing business ethics in such a way that it restores integrity among stakeholders, especially at the wake of numerous criticisms regarding their data security and privacy policies. It has adopted regulations through which employees are prohibited from misusing the data resources for marketing perspetives[18]. The company has undertaken steps to understand various cultures, given that it has a multinational reach and has a culturally diverse staff. The aim is to learn culturally appropriate behavior, especially in its management so that the employees align their cultural behavior to the business ethics of the company[19]. It also helps Facebook make informed business decisions in such a way that the integrity of the organisation is maintained among the stakeholders.

Facebook has introduced age verification for its users as a way of controlling the privacy of minors. Through this, the age limit is set at thirteen years with other regions requiring a much higher age limit[20]. Furthermore, Facebook has made it illegal to open accounts on behalf of minors in that this promotes falsified information. This move is in line with Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Statements which follows the application of business ethics in its operations. The protection of the privacy of children is essential, especially in social media which is home to various online crimes that range from online bullying to sexual grooming of minors[21]. However, despite these measures, users still find ways of manipulating the systems, which leads to further strict control measures that other honest users find challenging. As such, Facebook seeks to ensure that its policies do not infringe on its existing users. Thus, the call of action is called for the stakeholders to adhere to the business ethics formulated by Facebook.

Facebook has, over the years, faced numerous lawsuits and spend millions of dollars in settlement fees. Through the use of user data to create revenue, the company violates the privacy of its users. Nonetheless, the idea of selling data to third parties for marketing and advertising purposes is also detrimental to the business ethic of the company. The company then sought to restructure its user policy in such a way that the privacy of its users is safeguarded. In addition to this, the company also worked to suspend users and applications that violated these ethical considerations. While developers are essential to the operations of Facebook, they also need to adhere to data protection policies as provided by Facebook so that they do not pose ethical dilemmas to the company[22]. To them, the importance of sound moral values is critical to their operations are they are not willing to compromise on the same. The business ethics, as such, demonstrates the conscience of the company in line with its business policies and transactions.

The social responsibility of Facebook is centred on its obligation towards the society by taking upon activities that are worthwhile to the community. Facebook has enabled the creation of pages solely dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR) in such a way that various companies can actively engage with stakeholders in activities beneficial to the community[23]. Through this, Facebook enables its users to participate in CSR activities through their online activities and playing a part in interactive behavior to foster effective communication[24]. As such, it makes provisions for companies, individuals and groups to promote CSR activities. Facebook provides the resources to mitigate the challenges companies face while using social media to engage stakeholders on CSR activities.

Facebook has also stepped up efforts on environmental conservation policies where it has set up the ‘Green on Facebook’ page through which it promotes behavior and activities that protect the environment. It provides necessary resources for people to share and interact, sharing ideas on ways to best conserve the environment. The idea is to influence human and corporate behavior in such a way it negates the impacts of climate change in the world. Through this, it aims at promoting environmental sustainability through collaborative efforts with stakeholders globally. Additionally, it also provides the resources for urgent and speed to assist social responsibility in creating awareness for the project[25].

The effects of social media and mental health are enormous in that increased social media usage is noted to cause harm to the mental health of users and those around them. Some compulsive behaviours are attributed to social media use where individuals find it hard to cope when they cannot access these sites. Young people are at an increased risk of compromised mental health as a result of social media usage[26]. Social media is also ground for cybercrimes and bullying[27] activities given the virtual reality individuals hide behind. Facebook has stepped up its social responsibility by making provisions in tackling mental health. Through the platform, it can monitor the behavior of its users and pick out leading words suggesting psychological distress and link the said users to healthcare providers[28]. Additionally, it also provides resources to pages engaging in mental health awareness programs as well as having avenues to sieve useful information from malicious posts.

Moreover, there are privacy options for such groups so that malicious users do not gain access and spread bullying or posts that detrimental to the purposes of the awareness campaigns. Through this, Facebook plays a part in providing solutions to various mental illness concerns at such a point when people are at increased threat of mental illnesses owing to multiple provisions of globalisation. The CSR activities undertaken by Facebook are keen on promoting sustainability through its users.

Stakeholders have different expectations from the companies in that they highlight behaviours that are either acceptable or unacceptable. The aim is to have stakeholder engagement, given that they represent their consumers and clients of company goods and services. When an organisation decides to bypass this consideration, it slowly loses grip with its stakeholders who are particularly essential in the success of the organisation. The public relations of organisations are critical in that it is through these provisions that companies are presented to the public. As such, stakeholder expectations have to meet accordingly while also leaving room for relevant engagement through open channels of communication among these parties. The significant Facebook stakeholders include users, employees, governments, advertisers and partners. The purpose of engaging these stakeholders is so that their interests are safeguarded.

Stakeholder engagement levels are such that they make provisions for thorough interactions where individuals and institutions leave comments on expectations while providing reasons for their comments. Facebook has made available these provisions where stakeholders are involved in constant communication aimed at boosting services. Through this, the company can pursue activities that promote its reputation and discard those that do not[29]. Additionally, it also provides avenues that help such engagement through its broad scope of resources[30]. Various stakeholders can use Facebook as a social media tool to connect to their consumers. Through this, Facebook can provide harmonious channels of communication by bringing the stakeholders together on one platform.

Finally, the role of business ethics in an organisation are essential in that they help in formulated right and appropriate behavior in the wake of ethical dilemmas. Facebook has, over the years being faced with controversies regarding its data security and privacy. At such a time when the collection and sharing of data are critical in marketing and advertising, Facebook should not compromise on its business ethics in a bid to offer third parties access to personal information of its users. Furthermore, the extension of online activities should not be done at the expense of the privacy and security of individuals. As such, Facebook should also come with strict measures to address this ethical dilemma it faces in such a way that it sends a message to its stakeholders and safeguard user privacy. Facebook should provide avenues that support stakeholder engagement in addressing ethical issues within the course of its operations. While it is rich with information relevant to the progress of its stakeholders, this information should not be used for malicious purposes.