@acm-ethics
Helping promote ethics in computing & related professions. Re/posts ≠ endorsement - intended to inspire discussion. ethics.acm.org is where you can find the Code and other supporting resources #ACMCodeofEthics #IReadTheCode
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But again, I am highly appreciative of the intention behind this. Doing something to encourage authors to write about research ethics in their papers is far more than most publication venues do, especially in computing.
Maybe my take on this relates to the work I've done on ethics education. Ethical considerations in special sections of papers at the very end that many people won't read makes me think of the senior level standalone CS ethics class you take after none of your profs mentions ethics for 4 years.
Ethical Considerations Statement. Can be included at submission time This statement is a description of the ethical concerns and potential adverse impacts that authors considered and mitigated while conducting the work. Authors should describe the ethical challenges they faced in their submission and how they addressed such challenges. In particular, submissions that (1) describe experiments with human subjectsusers and/or deployed systems (e.g., websites or apps), or (2) rely on sensitive user data (e.g., social network information) must adhere to precepts of ethical research and community norms. These include compliance with applicable laws and applicable professional ethical codes; respect for privacy; secure storage of sensitive data; voluntary and informed consent when appropriate; avoiding deceptive practices when not essential; beneficence and non-maleficence (maximizing the benefits to an individual or society while minimizing harm to the individual); risk mitigation; and post-hoc disclosure of audits. See also the section on Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct above. We also encourage authors to discuss any potential adverse or unintended impacts the work might have once published, and how they have mitigated those potential impacts.
Now to be clear! My assumption that the *reason* for ethical considerations sections being part of endmatter is that the conference wants to encourage such statements by not counting them towards the page limit. So good intention, but...
1. death to page limits
2. come onnnnnnnn
Same with positionality/reflexivity -- this should be part of the methods. This is also a section that authors are instructed to put at the end in FAccT papers.
(I have some thoughts about this one as well, but appreciate the thoughtful pointer to medium.com/@caliang/ref... )
I actually feel the same way (stronger, actually) about limitations and am completely baffled by why it's the norm for some fields/publications to put limitations at the end.
I need to know about limitations to appropriately interpret the findings! Why do I care about them when I get to the end!
For example, let's say that you make a well informed ethical decision to obfuscate data in some way in order to protect the privacy of social media users. The reader is wondering why there aren't direct quotes in the findings or why some information is redacted. They should know this going in.
I think that decisions about how to conduct research ethically are at the exact same level as any other methodological decision -- e.g. how to recruit participants or what statistical analyses to run. They are also often just as relevant to understanding and interpreting the findings.
(That last bit is directed at authors. :) )
If as a researcher you're going to leave your ethical decision making out of a paper because you need to find 150 words to cut elsewhere, then you probably shouldn't be submitting to a conference with "transparency" in the title.
As I finish reviewing for FAccT I'd love to get other opinions on a topic. (I'm trying to decide if this is worth raising to decision makers or if I'm overreacting.)
TL;DR Ethical considerations should be in the methods section, so explicitly instructing authors to put them at the end is bad. 🧵
Timeline cleanse! Perhaps Mr. Glass is playing this www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nBE...
A 1988 VHS privacy law could block how advertisers get your data. The Supreme Court will decide if sharing email credentials for targeted ads violates video rental protections #privacy #dataprivacy #dataprivacyweek www.techspot.com/news/111090-...
It’s the final day of #DataPrivacyWeek!
Shrink your digital footprint by deleting old accounts and requesting the removal of outdated info.
Webinars: https://www.staysafeonline.org/events/data-privacy-week-2026-webinars
Find more tips: cyber.nj.gov
#NJCCIC #DataPrivacyWeek
Online age verification mandates can endanger our #privacy & #security.
During #DataPrivacyWeek, read OTI's pieces on this, including a brief on zero-knowledge proofs: a possible path to privacy-preserving age verification.
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Our video about the controversial AI2027 paper has now been watched more than 10m times on YouTube. My biggest ever video and the 2nd biggest ever for World Service. I'm especially proud of this one as I made it completely on my own. Scripting, prompting and editing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uuf...
“It [love] is an encounter with uncertainty. A.I. takes care of that. Just about all the major pieces that enter relationships, the algorithm is trying to eliminate — otherness, uncertainty, suffering, the potential for breakup, ambiguity. The things that demand effort.”
“Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg approved allowing minors to access AI chatbot companions that safety staffers warned were capable of sexual interactions, according to internal Meta documents filed in a New Mexico state court case and made public Monday.”
"Users objected to receiving #ads after #Google Assistant misperceived what they said as hot words, known as 'false accepts.' #Apple reached a similar $95 million settlement with smartphone users in December 2024": reuters.com/sustainabili... #ethics #law #tech #privacy #business
At Ghent University, the rector gave a back-to-school speech with inspirational quotes. Months later, an analysis shows most of the quotes were fake. The rector confessed to using an AI tool that hallucinated the quotes.
www.coreprose.com/fr/kb-incide...
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Time for some soul searching, people.
Are you a techno-optimist, a techno-pessimist, or a techno-realist?
Find out in this CACM opinion piece: buff.ly/5v3i4tI
#technews #tech #CACM
Could you be sharing more than you think? Review your privacy settings this #DataPrivacyWeek. staysafeonline.org/articles/man...
Digital care is collective care.
Together with our partners at @newamerica.org’s Open Technology Institute, we’ve created a brand-new zine that highlights how best to practice digital safety.
Swipe and share and learn how to protect your data, your privacy, and your community. #DataPrivacyWeek
Happy #DataPrivacyWeek !!
Every year, I update my Data Privacy Checklist. It's chock full of ideas and helpful links.
firewallsdontstopdragons.com/data-privacy...
It’s Day 4 of #DataPrivacyWeek!
Be mindful of the photos you post and the personal details shared by keeping your surroundings in mind. Less data shared = less data at risk.
Webinars: https://www.staysafeonline.org/events/data-privacy-week-2026-webinars
Cyber Tips: cyber.nj.gov
#NJCCIC #Privacy
Data deletion is more than just erasing your embarrassing teenage Facebook photos - it’s about reducing your digital footprint. #dataprivacyweek
Read more from #NationalCyberSecurityAlliance about why data deletion matters and how to clear your information: hubs.la/Q040GBrX0
LinkedIn post by Mick Moran, CEO Irish Internet Hotline Parents, You must have frank conversations with your child about sex, porn, consent, atheism, religious extremists, weirdos, evil, sexual extortion, no santa, data control, privacy, screen addiction, gambling, social media opportunity cost, gore, sexual extortion, extreme consumerism, cyberbullying, cults, paedophilia, sexual fetishes, body image, nudification, violence, gun control, Racism and xenophobia, BDSM, sleep depravation, scams and fraud, bulimia and anorexia, death, other harmful content. If you think they are too young to hear all of that in an adult manner, they are too young to have a smartphone. Irish Internet Hotline ISPCC National Parents Council Webwise Ireland Eoghan Cleary Alex Cooney Coimisiún na Meán
Food for thought post by Mick Moran of @hotline-ie.bsky.social
