In the quest for goodness, philosophers throughout history have grappled with defining virtue, morality, and ethical conduct. Today, the concept of being “good” has transcended mere philosophical discourse to permeate various facets of human endeavor, including the realm of business. In today’s corporate landscape, the pursuit of goodness extends beyond mere financial metrics to encompass ethical considerations, particularly in the realm of data usage.
In the Middle East, where traditions of ethics and moral conduct hold significant cultural and religious importance, the integration of ethical principles into business practices resonates deeply with local values. Just as Google famously espouses the principle of “Do No Evil,” Middle Eastern companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of aligning their operations with ethical standards. This has led to the growing field of data ethics.
This development was an inevitability. After all, in recent years, data has emerged as a cornerstone of modern business operations, facilitating product improvements, enhanced services, and revenue generation. The exponential growth of data collection and utilization underscores the pivotal role it plays in driving organizational success. However, with this proliferation of data comes a heightened responsibility to ensure its ethical utilization, particularly in a region where privacy concerns and data protection are paramount.
With customer confidence, brand reputation, compliance, employee morale, risk management and so much more at stake, it is essential that enterprises get data ethics right. These three strategies provide a roadmap for their success in this undertaking:
Enhance Stakeholder Well-being
Intentions are important, but so are the outcomes.
The first question any company needs to ask is what it wants to achieve with its data. Are they looking to improve the lives of their customers, or are they only interested in maximizing profits? While these often can go hand-in-hand because a business that enhances its customers’ lives is much more likely to succeed than one that doesn’t, the intentions behind how a business uses data are the first step to ethical data use.
In the field of ethics, consequentialism is the belief that an action is good depending on its outcome. For example, if a city passes a law to reduce the speed limit, and there are fewer accidents as a result; this would be a morally good law. Its value does not come from the law itself but from the consequences of the law. This is a helpful framework while looking at the use of data. If the outcomes of the way a company uses customer data are good for the customer, it can reasonably be said that the use of that data is ethical.
Be Transparent With Data Policies
When companies collect and use data about their customers, they should treat it like it belongs to their customers. This means being explicit about what data the company collects and how it will (and will not) use that data. A clear data and privacy policy outlines exactly what ethical data use is required. Businesses can also go even further by baking permissions into their data policy. Explicitly asking customers for permission to use their data has the benefit of also enabling the company to build trust with that customer further.
Combat Bias
Like anything else, data is not free of the biases that plague the rest of society. Part of being human means we have biases, but it also means that we can actively work to combat them and correct them. This is no different when collecting data. Ethical data policies recognize these biases and seek to correct them wherever possible.
Unfortunately, data sets — even those created by AI and machine learning technologies — often include some sort of bias.Companies can take a number of steps to help combat bias in the data they use. This can include conducting checks on how a company collects data, inspecting it once it is collected, and employing third parties to verify that the data is bias-free.
By embracing these principles, Middle Eastern businesses can chart a course toward ethical data practices, aligning their operations with regional values and global best practices. As the region increasingly embraces digital transformation and innovation, ethical data governance serves as a linchpin for sustainable growth and societal advancement. Just as ethical conduct is intrinsic to the fabric of Middle Eastern society, so too must it permeate the digital realm, fostering a future where technology serves as a force for good in the region.
