When Social Meets Technical: Ethics and the Design of "Social" Technologies

Published: Apr 15, 2000
Updated: Apr 15, 2000
Section: Network Security Library :: Privacy
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Company: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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In this paper I address some of the promises and perils in designing "social" technologies, i.e., technologies that explicitly address social concerns such as freedom and privacy. I begin by examining how traditional views of technology as an "autonomous force" have discouraged the incorporation of social and ethical considerations into design. I then examine the development of a specific technology - Highway 407, being built just north of Torongo, Ontatio - to show how privacy issues can be addressed early on in the design of a project. Finally I look at several up-and-coming technologies and offer some cautionary lessons for those seeking to design social technologies.

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