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digital presenteism

Presenteeism threatens flexible work gains. Here’s how to beat it.

  • min read
    • The pandemic forced many businesses to make a swift move to enable      remote work. But it's not just the threat of infection that recommends this shift – remote work can often mean reduced costs and improved productivity. Flexible hours have significant benefits too, like improved talent-attraction and employee health. Despite the promised benefits, businesses offering remote work and flexible hours may still see 'presenteeism' – a greater emphasis on being 'at work' than being effective. Qatalog and Gitlab's Killing Time At Work report found workers spend an extra 67 minutes online every day just to show their colleagues and managers they're 'working'. Why does presenteeism happen? Tony Jamous, founder and chief executive officer of Oyster HR, says, "For many years, [we sat] at a screen for eight hours a day with few breaks. Now, because of increased remote work flexibility, employees are adopting 'non-linear' workdays. These empower employees to do the school run, take a gym break or adjust their schedules to find their optimal focus time." Back when manufacturing drove many economies, workers had to be on site to create output. As office-based work grew, output was less tangible, so we started to equate longer hours with productivity. What makes us productive and effective at work? Tariq Rauf, founder and chief executive officer of Qatalog says, "Someone could be visible and present online for 60 hours a week and achieve little. Whereas, the next person might work for half that time, at different times of the day, and be phenomenally productive." Contrary to popular belief, people who work most effectively are not necessarily those most disciplined, but those who speak to themselves with kindness and self-compassion. Georgetown University professor Cal Newport links peak productivity with deep work, meaning "working for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction." When it comes to distraction, constant app notifications are a big culprit – knowledge workers receive notifications from an average of 6.2 different apps or tools. Productivity's enemies include stress, anxiety and mental and physical fatigue. Psychotherapist Roxy Rhodes told me, "Mental and physical tiredness compound mistakes, which could negatively impact your career progression. Working through illness also means you may need longer to recover, increasing burnout risk." Dr. Wladislaw Rivkin, associate professor in organizational behavior at Trinity College Dublin agrees that working through illness – even digitally – is a bad idea. H     is research found working when unwell "has a knock-on effect for remote workers' performance on the next day as [it] drains employees' psychological energy, which cannot be fully recovered after work." Business impact of presenteeism Presenteeism can be more detrimental than absenteeism. An "always-on" communication expectation can hamper productivity and cause anxiety. Remote work was meant to level the playing field for employees with disabilities, but if workers feel forced to show up for the sake of it, that benefit is lost. Employee digital surveillance further corrodes trust, and brings challenges of its own making by reducing contextual performance and morale and increasing stress. Workers feel drained, fear their employer is 'out to get them' or retaliate using the likes of mouse jigglers – software or devices that simulate      mouse movements to prevent computer sleep mode from activating, giving the impression the employee is working. "Having to prove you're working by using mouse jigglers or clicking the screen every few minutes indicates a toxic culture. When we hire people, we look for candidates who will take ownership of their work. How long it takes them to accomplish a project is up to them, as long as the output is delivered. We don't need employee tracking software to see output," says Bhavya Arora, talent management and culture partner for sales engagement platform Outplay. Young workers and juniors in a team are more susceptible to practicing presenteeism. Some organizations position choosing your own working hours as a privilege earned by those higher up the career ladder, and junior workers worry their work ethic may be seen as lacking even if they're absent even for a few minutes. How to switch off "always on" culture 1.    Measure performance by output not hours "We don't believe someone's commitment to work or their performance should be measured by how many hours they've worked," says Outplay's Arora. Qatalog founder Rauf agrees, "Organizations should implement an output-driven culture that focuses on the work people do, rather than worrying about when they do it and how long they're at their desk." 2.    Use tools that suit asynchronous work Communication tools that send notifications can reinforce an "always on" culture and mean workers find it hard to switch off. Encouraging 'asynchronous' instead means finding ways for colleagues to work together even when not logged in at the same time. Tariq Rauf, founder and chief executive officer of Qatalog says, "Asynchronous work lets people with caregiving responsibilities fit work around their life." Qatalog tries to enable asynchronous working with their platform, which centralizes knowledge, processes and resources in their platform. Asynchronous communication tools, like Loom for video messaging, CloudApp for screen recording, Yac, which claims voice messaging can eliminate meetings, and Hypercontext for meeting management, aim to provide for effective, high-fidelity communication      for asynchronous work. "With the right technology, you can break down silos and provide visibility across an entire organization," says Rauf. "Once you can see what everyone is working on, with decisions made transparently, trust is much easier to build. It's not a silver bullet, but it's a strong foundation." 3.    Build trust and lead by example Asynchronous communication tools must feed into a culture of trust and empathy. Leaders should hire employees they trust to get the work done, so there's no need to be logged in at the same time. Psychotherapist Rhodes says, "You're setting a precedent for what's expected of your employees – if a staff member sees their boss showing up to work sick, they'll likely feel pressure to do the same." Small but thoughtful changes in how you communicate can also build trust: Don't send employees texts or emails outside work hours. Let team members control their availability, honoring 'do not disturb' statuses. Segment communication channels, for example, using Slack for regular communication but mobile messaging apps only for emergencies. Rhodes also recommends, "Having a non-contact way for employees to announce sickness is effective in some companies. Staff feel anxious about "phoning in sick" and having to have a conversation where they feel they have to justify how ill they are." Management consultancy McKinsey's 2022 report found 40 percent of workers value flexibility so much, it drives their decision to stay in a job or look for a new one. If workers can't do their best work, employers will lose them. Productivity is in work delivered, not hours worked or how fast employees respond to messages. No workplace benefits from performed productivity, and presenteeism can strip remote work of its benefits. Businesses must make sure they give employees the tools and freedom to work in the way that best suits them.
disinformation technology

Can AI help mend trust in business damaged by trolling and fakes?

  • min read
    • In 2021, artificial intelligence (AI) might have finally become better than humans at being human. A study found people trust AI-made fake faces more than real people's faces. The researchers warn their findings show widespread use of AI poses a threat to the public. They recommend stronger safeguards restricting code to those with good reason to use it. As deepfakes and manipulated imagery increase, we've seen a counter-balance in businesses wanting to communicate with customers in a more authentic voice. This also means rooting out manipulated sentiment and trolling, so we see governments and brands contracting tech firms to reveal those spreading disinformation on social media. Could we get better at spotting fakes? In a world where four in ten teens can't tell the difference between fake and real news, rebuilding trust must be a business priority. But how AI technology has advanced makes it complex. It's now easy to create many synthetic images and videos using AI systems that analyze thousands of real images to learn how to make fakes. In the past, that workload would've needed many trained people. The FBI recently alerted that HR managers have spotted people using deepfakes to apply for remote jobs. But why? "Fake employment applicants may be hoping to access and hack the hiring company's IT systems," says Kaspersky senior data scientist Dmitry Anikin. "It's happening, but today, it's hard to do well. Making a high-quality deepfake needs much data and computing power, especially for online meetings. We should prepare for the threat to grow, because technology doesn't stand still." Fighting to maintain online credibility All business relies on trust. So how can business operate with the albatross of fakery hovering above? Luckily, companies like Truepic offer solutions. Truepic's software development kit (SDK) integrates with apps that rely on images, verifying media in real time. It checks image metadata – like when, where and on which device it was created – then cryptographically signs it, embedding validation in the file. This lets businesses on the back end know if content is real or synthetic. Truepic's clients include credit reporting company Equifax and car manufacturer Ford. When Ford pays out on a warranty claim, they need to know if car parts or damage photographs are legitimate or have been manipulated or pulled from the web. Brown says tagging tools like Truepic come at a time of brand and consumer frustration with social media companies doing little to stem disinformation. "We're in that sea change now. A consumer push for authenticity is starting to pressure social media platforms to take notice." But firms like Truepic aren't sitting on their hands waiting for Facebook, Twitter and TikTok to act differently. Truepic belongs to Adobe's Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), a community of tech companies, media, non-government organizations (NGOs) and others promoting an open industry standard for proving content authenticity. This year, Adobe released a three-part open-source toolkit to help get trust-building technology into developers' hands faster. Rooting out social media trolls ZeroFox, Astroscreen and Cyabra use AI to identify disinformation disseminators and 'sock puppets' – fake profiles creating an illusion of wider support for (or opposition to) an idea or company. Cyabra calls itself a "social media search engine designed to track and measure the impact of fake accounts." Companies like Cyabra recognize social media platforms aren't doing this enough. Rafi Mendelsohn, vice president of marketing at Cyabra, says, "We look at the 'breadcrumbs' to find out if an account is real or not." Breadcrumbs might be, for example, a user posting 23 hours a day or multiple users Tweeting the same text. Brands using Cyabra include Warner Media, which faced a deluge of Twitter trolling when they announced the first female-led superhero film, Wonder Woman, in 2017. "We helped Warner recognize authentic enthusiasm for the film and what was false," says Mendelsohn. Cyabra works with Brazilian, Colombian and US state governments to track fake narratives leading up to major elections. Mendelsohn notes, "Human analysts have done this work for years, but we can do it at scale with AI." In the highly publicized battle between Elon Musk and Twitter, Musk contracted Cyabra to find out how many Twitter users were fake before confirming purchase – their analysis found about 11 percent. Towards a more authentic internet Those studying distrust online have found language is important in identifying disinformation. Victoria Rubin, associate professor of information and media studies at University of Western Ontario, has tracked disinformation spreaders for several years and noticed some hallmarks. "Those who lie don't often reference themselves in posts and prefer to use 'they' in language." She says fake news and election lies spread fast when people don't look critically at what they see. It's common – haven't we all reacted to a news item after just reading the headline? Disinformation isn't going anywhere soon, so to attack it requires greater vigilance. Those I interviewed said education and company responsibility must be part of confronting it. They agree we must teach people how bad actors use new technologies to fool us something's real when it's not. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook must also do as much as possible to rebuild trust, says Truepic's Brown. "Our big-picture goal is an internet with built-in authenticity infrastructure, so everyone has the right data to make decisions that affect their lives."
hybrid work changes

Hybrid workplaces need a business culture change to match

  • min read
    • Companies are struggling with how to move to let employees have the choice to work at the office, from home or somewhere else – known as hybrid work. A 2022 study by career consultants Zippia found that 84 percent of companies have implemented or plan to implement remote work. Employees are more than ready for it, with 83 percent saying they prefer hybrid work in Accenture's 2021 Future of Work study. Yet, as the economic outlook worsens, it's possible that employee urgency about hybrid work could wane in favor of job security, benefits and company culture. A 2022 Expectations at Work study by BCW (part of WPP) indicates that a certain "confidence across the different employee groups has been eroding, triggering a change in the core expectations and priorities employees now seek from their employers." In any event, implementing hybrid work well is harder than most leaders think. On top of general post-pandemic fatigue, there are hard questions. How much can you require workers to come into the office or stay home? When and why should we be in either space? Should we change contracts and compensation? Which IT systems will we need? The answers are complex, and there's no one-size-fits-all. Three things to think about Outside in-person roles and sectors like manufacturing, hospitality and medical procedures, many have now experienced remote work. In the US, thirty-five percent worked from home during the pandemic. In the UK, it was as much as thirty-eight percent, and in France, nearly thirty percent. Businesses must decide the future of their work conditions. Allowing office and remote work means adapting your reality, being more flexible and changing how you communicate. When considering hybrid work, leadership should assess three things: How to create a company culture that fosters optimal employee engagement, best serve existing and future clients, and give teams the right oversight and tech. Charting a post-pandemic path Effective change requires knowing where you come from. When a legacy company – one that's existed for decades – wants to make a significant change in how they work, it must understand its existing corporate culture. After years of working one way, principles and work styles become ingrained, including relationships with customers and suppliers. The pandemic created an exceptional moment when companies brushed existing culture aside. There will have been changes, many of which will be invisible. Still, there are also dark clouds on the horizon: Economic uncertainty, consumption habits and expectations changes, and social and political unease. Using empathic leadership to engage Research from the University of California, Berkeley Haas and Stanford University found the pandemic provoked many favorable changes in beliefs, behavior and relationships. They reported, "Organizational cultures in the pandemic era have generally shifted away from a high-performance orientation to one that prizes empathy, understanding and mutual support." Empathy – especially from leaders – has a direct, positive impact in the workplace, according to Catalyst research. With more empathic leaders, 61 percent of employees report being able to be innovative, compared with 13 percent of those with less empathic leaders. Increased uncertainty and the need for dramatic change will make leaders with empathy even more valuable to their companies. Leaders should especially watch employee engagement. In light of high resignation rates post-pandemic and recruitment challenges, HR departments should pay extra attention to onboarding in a hybrid environment. With recruitment and initial training done remotely, new employees struggle to understand the culture and establish trusting relationships with others. When you show up as your whole self, vulnerable and imperfect, it will help you to build trust and foster sincerity. Of course, that doesn't mean you shouldn't strive to be the best version of yourself. Being open, genuine and humble makes your colleagues and employees more likely to speak up and feel engaged. Two-way communication will be your bread and butter to survive the transformation to hybrid work. Focus on customers Since it's harder to manage communication in a hybrid environment, it's tempting to use data, financials and automation to manage customers. But the human element, in all its messiness, is more important. Employees' roles and engagement are critical to good customer experience. The pandemic, social movements (like Black Lives Matter) and global political turmoil have changed how customers feel, interact and buy. As expectations change, staying keenly attuned and finding ways to understand better your past, current and future customers will be essential. You'll also need to work to break down company silos and product-centric orientations, which put the focus a few steps away from the customer. Bill Kanarick of EY explains in MIT Technology Review, "Customer-centricity forces you to take a horizontal view where you're trying to orchestrate across the organization to the benefit of the consumer." In other words, customer experience relies on people in different departments across the company, often without a common line of command. While it may be challenging, winners know how to take risks, move fast and focus on a few key levers and performance indicators rather than trying to meet all needs and clunky dashboards. Support systems that facilitate your goals Systems support internal operations, so how you facilitate communications aligned with your business goals and leadership style should be a top priority. There are many communication tools, like Slack, Adobe Cloud and Microsoft Outlook, and great add-ons for hybrid work like Mural and Miro for brainstorming and workshops, Rally and Doodle for meeting management and Monday.com and Trello for project management. Another important aspect is configuring cybersecurity, especially for sensitive data. Your systems will need security tailored to changing locations, moving pieces and the varied tech found in homes and remote offices. Security responsibility in hybrid work falls more on employees, says Leonid Grustniy: "Transporting your work – laptop, files, flash drives – between the office and home can place corporate data in danger from carelessness or even theft." Regardless of tools, leadership must focus on human matters: Empathy, doing what you say and saying what you do, being fair and firm in how you treat employees, and most importantly, modeling the behavior you wish to see. The move to hybrid work will take much trial and error, and flexibility. Larger tech companies like Amazon, Apple and Google will likely pave the way in how we manage hybrid and remote conditions, but applying other organizations' ideas isn't enough. Every sector and different company culture will need its own solutions. Good luck on your journey.
tale two metaverses

The Metaverse’s history shows we’re not quite ready for it

  • min read
    • In October 2021, Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his company's brand name to Meta to reflect what he sees as the importance of the metaverse to their business strategy. Experienced using a virtual reality (VR) headset, the three-dimensional virtual environment lets characters (called avatars) engage in social and commercial activities much like real life. Many global business giants see the Metaverse as a huge commercial opportunity that will change how we live and work. Should your business get involved? I believe the Metaverse's history shows while it's an environment you should get familiar with, it may not be the time to invest big. Here's why. MMOGs have been around since the 1990s. Their popularity has risen fast worldwide with improved internet connectivity, computer power and immersive graphics. One such game, space simulator EVE Online, has seen over 60,000 players simultaneously playing. And like in the Metaverse, trading virtual items for real-world money in MMOGs has become big business. What's the Metaverse's attraction? The Metaverse has business potential because of our willingness to invest so much time and money in playing games online. In a 2022 virtual conference on the Metaverse, Datin Lorela Chia, CEO of Haus of Stylo, Malaysia, gave examples of the fashion and games industry collaborating, like creating and selling virtual garments for avatars. But it's not just about buying and selling things – the Metaverse offers a way to meet, discuss or learn that's more immersive than other online communication tools. Bill Gates said in 2021, "Within two to three years, I predict most virtual meetings will move from 2D camera image grids… to the Metaverse – a 3D space with digital avatars." Metaverse follows in Second Life's footsteps In almost every way except the VR headsets, there was a Metaverse from 2003, when Linden Labs launched virtual world Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world that lets users create avatars and settings, and teleport from one place to another in seconds. Second Life has an estimated 800,000 users and many of the characteristics of a real-world civilization – rules, citizen rights, homes, shops, universities and events. It has many business applications like hybrid conferences, virtual project meetings and data visualization for education and collaboration. IBM has used Second Life for internal meetings. BP for graduate recruitment and Imperial College London for virtual hospital tours. But with all its functionality and experience, Second Life hasn't gained mainstream commercial success. So why does Mark Zuckerberg believe his Metaverse has massive disruptive potential? What's enabling today's Metaverse? The answer lies in how the internet evolved since its birth in 1983. The power of 5G and fibre, smartphones and social media have all played a role. Today's advanced internet technologies make the Metaverse possible, but the devices and applications we use daily will determine whether it has significant commercial potential. Second Life runs on a desktop computer and connects to a network of Linden Lab servers. It's a security risk for businesses with network firewalls. Second Life is also 'synchronous:' users only get value from being online at the same time as other users. So there are no users in most Second Life locations most of the time. To use a real-world retail analogy, there's a lack of footfall. This is also true for the Metaverse. Its commercial potential will depend on user numbers and where they spend time. It's critical there's on-demand universal access across computers, laptops and mobile devices. Perhaps 'Web 3.0' will be the technology that delivers on making Metaverse experiences securely accessible to a global marketplace across different devices, but especially mobile devices like smartphones. What is Web 3.0 and why does it matter? IT industry analyst Robin Bloor recently said, "Web 3.0 is the third generation of the internet — a global network that permits intelligent interactions between all its users and devices." Web 3.0 is a theoretical new blockchain-based iteration of the web. It could provide increased data security, scalability and privacy for users. It would let users publish rich media content to a global audience and make a Metaverse more commercially viable than Second Life. By making the web more powerful, intuitive and secure, Web 3.0 could mean the volume of online users accessing and creating content grows faster. One major difference, most relevant to the Metaverse, is better handling of the 3D graphics needed for virtual worlds. Blockchain important to Metaverse commerce Metaverse settings are computer-generated environments or 360-degree photos and videos captured by consumer or professional cameras. These digital images and videos are now traded on the internet. Blockchain can validate ownership of these digital assets, enabling the fashion industry to sell digital garments. In Second Life from 2005, you could create digital assets and trade them for the digital currency Linden dollars. Today, the same thing is happening in the Metaverse using blockchain and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. These latest developments, alongside artificial intelligence that connects buyers with sellers, will add to the growth of the Metaverse. How will the Metaverse affect business? The future shape and commercial potential of the Metaverse go beyond numbers of users. It also depends on how often they visit, for how long, where and why. With pandemics and climate change restricting face-to-face contact and travel, applications that enable remote communication and collaboration have grown fast. Online meeting app Zoom saw daily meeting participants grow from 10 million to 300 million between 2019 and 2020, mostly from small business and personal use. Will the Metaverse become the new virtual meeting space Bill Gates predicted? It seems unlikely for now, with the convenience and ease of use of Zoom and other online meeting platforms. More likely, the commercial potential of the Metaverse will be unlocked by applications that benefit more from immersive experiences. It could also be useful in mental and physical health therapies that use virtual reality and for complex 3D data visualization. Facebook (Meta) has invested hugely in strategy based on VR headsets as the gateway to their Metaverse platform. Unlike the browsers found on every smartphone and laptop, few own or have access to a VR headset. At the moment, Metaverse suffers from the same problem that restricted Second Life – a limited marketplace, until the technology evolves to the point where VR headsets or glasses are affordable and ubiquitous. Unlike recent disruptions like cryptocurrency, the Metaverse relies on mass adoption to be profitable for business. Several factors in the market today make mass Metaverse adoption unlikely, like low VR headset ownership and lack of systems to access the Metaverse with commonly owned devices. While businesses should closely follow the Metaverse's development, it may be premature to invest heavily at this time. In any case, watch this space.
Climate change threatens IT infrastructure disruption

How to make IT infrastructure resilient against extreme weather

  • min read
    • Almost nothing in the world will be unaffected by climate change. From more storms and wildfires to rising sea levels, the impact of extreme weather events will only grow. Infrastructure, too, faces tough challenges from sudden and damaging floods, hurricanes and heatwaves. IT networks and systems, and the vital data they hold, may be most at risk. We've already seen what can happen. Wildfires can take out cell towers, preventing those affected from calling for help. Flooding has taken on a UK data center used by a mobile phone network. Businesses that plan to rely on driverless tech should be aware it's not yet working well in severe weather. For enterprises, preparing for the impacts of climate change is no substitute for doing all they can today to reduce emissions and sequester (store) carbon. But business and IT leaders can protect their vital IT infrastructure for more extreme times ahead. Why invest in infrastructure resilience? According to 2018 OECD policy paper, Climate Resilient Infrastructure, if we don't adapt infrastructure, climate change will increase extreme weather infrastructure damage in Europe ten-fold by the end of the century. Bryan Strawser, CEO of experts in crisis management and business continuity Bryghtpath, expects climate change and its associated risks will have a growing impact on IT resilience and business continuity in the coming years. "We'll see impacts from physical risks like flooding and a continued increase in extreme weather events. There will be changes in how we think about using power, water and other natural resources. It will impact large data centers and other technologies that use these resources," Strawser told me. What business leaders should consider When assessing risk from climate change, business leaders must consider a wide range of impacts. There are urgent short-term issues, like intense rainfall and cyclones, and chronic long-term problems like rising sea levels and temperature increases. But with the right partners and resilience plans, business can successfully manage the challenges climate disruption will bring. Dealing with each issue in isolation is unworkable because of the sheer number of events that could pose a threat. Strawser advises that instead, work out a comprehensive IT resilience program aligned with your business continuity plans. "It's critical your C-suite and board have good visibility of the overall resilience program. Align the program with the organization's sustainability strategy and goals to ensure unified effort across the organization," Strawser says. Raising the environmental standard of business While IT infrastructure's contribution to carbon emissions is comparatively small, there is a role for IT managers and leaders in establishing sustainability frameworks internally around things like IT procurement, choosing data centers and adopting other solutions that reduce emissions. Mike Davis, Executive Business Consultant at business and IT consultancy Waterstons, highlights the role of meeting international standards. "ICT managers should encourage and take part in organizational compliance with standards like ISO 14001, which covers practical tools to manage environmental responsibilities, and ISO 50001, for energy management." He adds, "[Companies should] consider supporting change to their organization's fundamental stakeholder value proposition by seeking B Corp membership or something similar." B Corporations are certified as meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. IT climate risk is risk on a new scale No two organizations will take the same approach to securing their IT infrastructure, as the exact climate change resilience strategies are unique to an organization's own risks. For some enterprises, data centers will need extra protection or relocating, while others may need strengthened alternative communication lines to ensure backup is available in areas prone to weather disruption. Join forces with others One company may have a limited impact on the global climate, but efforts amplify when organizations work together to build up industry capabilities and technologies. Spending time and money researching new and improved ways to construct IT infrastructure can pay dividends by reducing risk long-term. Luis Neves, CEO of Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI,) supporting IT firms to act sustainably, believes we must encourage a new wave of research and development "centered on climate-resilient innovation, aiming to generate energy-efficient gadgets and components fit for forecasted climate circumstances and to promote ICT user and sector adaptation." Neves also thinks, "This could spur new learning processes inside the industry and help it adapt to climate change by increasing flexibility and diversity." Getting fast responses right For businesses that don't set up a clear and comprehensive strategy to address IT resilience issues, unforeseen weather episodes can cause far more damage than for those who create a plan when climate change-driven events strike. Neves says Deutsche Telekom shows how an organization should respond to devastating damage to IT infrastructure. Extensive flooding in Germany in July 2021 destroyed or damaged much IT infrastructure, with around 250,000 people losing mobile network connection. Deutsche Telekom immediately set up a fast reaction team and four-phase plan. First, they created a single point of truth for customer help, then tackled technical and network disaster recovery. Finally, they set up a company-wide emergency team. With catastrophic weather events growing in frequency, business must adapt to a new normal where damage to IT infrastructure is common. Through comprehensive planning, they can be more competitive and ensure the availability of life-saving communication lines. "These effects are already felt and will only worsen," says Neves of GeSI. "Long-term plans that address national priorities for sustainable development and progress toward international commitments will be crucial."

Could this voluntary charter fix data ethics in big tech?

  • min read
    • We know some people and businesses will, given the chance, use personal location data in unethical ways. When automotive cybersecurity experts Karamba Security posted a fake vehicle control unit online, they saw 25,000 attempted breaches in three days. Stalkers have used AirTag, Apple's coin-sized device for finding lost keys or other property, to track victims. Regulations like the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) define minimum standards of data ethics, but the case for going further is strong. To that end, what can help those tech businesses who want to stay ahead of the data exploitation curve by upholding the highest data ethics standards? Learning to foresee the unforeseen International non-profit the Locus Charter promotes a higher standard of responsibility for professionals and businesses when it comes to location data. They want to avoid unforeseen privacy breaches by working out what can go wrong and pinpoint big problems before they're exploited. They champion public interest by showing businesses how to prevent unintentional harm. The charter is based on ten principles that balance moral behavior with economic benefit, like realizing opportunities and understanding impacts. Location data is one of many frontiers. As veterans of data policy in and out of government, the charter's founders want to be part of all kinds of data discussions. Automation challenging data ethics "The most important focus in data ethics is exploring the power granted by the accumulation of data so everyone can recognize how that power can be used and misused," Ben Hawes, Technology Policy Consultant and co-author of the Locus Charter, told me. He continues, "There's an assumption automated systems and digital technologies are always better. Economic pressures mean companies prefer the promise of greater productivity at all costs, which can be alarming when people are unaware of many potential data misuses, accidental or deliberate." "Some risks in business going digital crop up in all sectors," said Hawes. "We often see 'designer biases,' where developers center their own experiences, leading to alienating people who don't fit the same racial, economic or physical profile. Another issue is automation making back-end processes more complex until they're opaque. There are also sector-specific issues." With the digital world's size and potential, regulating the space is an uphill battle. New ways to exploit data are appearing faster than lawmakers can address them. Is self-regulation enough? Hawes doesn't support a relaxed approach to data ethics. "It's unwise to avoid oversight and critical regulation in the hope self-regulation may be enough, as it rarely is." A 'wild west' model is attractive for short-term gains by freeing emerging markets from red tape, but loose protections don't create conditions for long-term growth or stable markets, especially in an age of social pressure on brands to be ethical. Can whitewashing be cleaned up? With limited regulative authority, a non-profit trade initiative likely isn't eager to bicker with companies they're working with. Organizations like Locus may be better placed, approaching economic ethics from a collaborative angle. Of course, some companies are only interested in the PR boost of appearing ethical by whitewashing their marketing because they don't want to be the only ones following the rules in a competitive arena. They end up paying lip service alone, without taking the issues seriously. Hawes thinks despite this, there's still benefit in working in good faith. "To get ethically reluctant companies to behave well with data, is it better to give them the benefit of the doubt or be critical and accusing? I think, better to have a company aspire to a good standard, even if it's empty promises, because they can at least be held to those standards in some way." Less direct ways of influencing A cooperative strategy may create the best conditions in a self-regulating atmosphere. When ethics groups collaborate with business, they influence thousands of staff members, creating internal pressure for higher standards in the boardroom. It's also worth championing an ethical company for consumers looking to do the right thing with their money. Though strategies like these can't do it all, they have worked, motivating large companies to produce net-carbon zero plans and banks to create green investment options. But data misuse is not the same as pollution. "It's harder to see and analyze compared with other high-profile scandals, so it's hard to translate into a common grievance that can unite people," says Hawes. Will something have to go badly wrong for the world to take it seriously? Hawes considers, "If authorities avoid developing solutions until a problem causes substantial harm, they'll still need about a decade to develop tools that would be effective in this complex market. Governments should be working on this yesterday." In other words, have a fire extinguisher ready when playing with matches, rather than trying to invent one as your house burns down. Reforming data use culture The task of reforming fast-evolving data industries is daunting. Hawes' recommended method involves slowly, steadily establishing ethical practice as the norm. "The UK has the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum for sharing information and approaches. It lets regulators gain knowledge of the risks data and digitalized business generate, so they can manage them sector by sector. We need a forum like that on an international scale," says Hawes. "Understanding risks like explainability, transparency and bias creates a foundation for building standards that address the problem and brings stability to the data economy." This pressure can also come from outside industry, and often flavors the expectations that filter into business. "More public debate on how we can avoid driving digital inequalities would go a long way," says Hawes. "This is particularly important in social media, which is the frontline of data ethics in many ways." While data privacy issues haven't seen the emphasis Hawes and his peers would like, they're eager to change the culture. Business can choose to be part of the solution and be heralded as ethical data use champions for their efforts.
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