97 Things About Ethics Everyone in Data Science Should Know

Chapter 91. The Paradox of an Ethical Paradox

Bob Gladden

VP, Enterprise Analytics, Highmark Health

Ethics in data and analytics is a critical field that fortunately is getting increased attention. From data aggregation firms that repeatedly demonstrate disregard of their data stewardship responsibilities to meet company objectives, to pandemic methodologies that invade individual privacy for the greater societal good, ethical paradoxes are seemingly everywhere.

Some technology firms have given the concept of data and analytics ethics serious consideration. Others put on a public show of creating a data ethics council, only to violate the articles of their own code of data ethics in that council’s creation. There are few public examples paving a path for data and analytics ethics. It seems the grown-ups have all left the room.

To be fair, organizations are often faced with ethical choices that can, in the minds of leaders, be seen as ethical paradoxes. But are they? Let’s consider a simple example: in early February a church treasurer receives a request from the pastor for a substantial donation. As a condition of accepting the gift, the pastor asks the treasurer, on behalf of the donor, to backdate the letter officially acknowledging the gift to December of the previous year. When confronted, the pastor said he saw it as an ethical dilemma. The choice was between more funds for ...