71. An online retailer has experienced rapid growth over the past several years and has decided to revisit its information security policies. Among many changes, one aspect indicates that customer data can only be accessed by employees with specific privileges. Which ethical concern is addressed by this aspect of the new policies?
Answer: D
Privacy
The aspect of the new policies that restricts access to customer data to only those employees with specific privileges directly addresses the ethical concern of privacy. By ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive customer information, the retailer is taking steps to protect individuals' personal data from unauthorized access and potential misuse.
A) Human welfare
While human welfare is an important ethical consideration, it primarily focuses on the well-being and safety of individuals rather than the specific handling of data. In this context, the policy does not directly address broader issues of human welfare but rather emphasizes the protection of privacy.
B) Proportionality
Proportionality refers to the ethical principle that actions should be proportional to the situation at hand. Although the policy may reflect a proportional response to the risks associated with data privacy, it is not the main ethical concern being addressed. The focus here is specifically on controlling access to data rather than proportionality in actions or responses.
C) Justice
Justice pertains to fairness and equality in the treatment of individuals. While ensuring privacy can contribute to a just environment by protecting individuals' rights, the primary focus of the policy is on the access to personal data, which is more closely aligned with privacy concerns rather than justice itself.
D) Privacy
This option is directly related to the ethical implications of data access. By limiting access to customer information based on privileges, the retailer is actively working to safeguard the privacy of its customers, ensuring that their personal information is not exposed to unauthorized individuals.
Conclusion
The correct answer, privacy, clearly aligns with the policy's intent to control who can access sensitive customer data, thereby protecting individual rights and personal information. Other options, while relevant to ethical considerations, do not specifically address the core issue of data access and privacy in the context of the retailer's new policies. This makes privacy the definitive ethical concern being addressed.