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FACEBOOK:ThePsychologyExperimentYouConsentedtoinFB'sTermsofServiceBusinessEthicsintheNewsSantaClaraUniversity

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FACEBOOK:ThePsychologyExperimentYouConsentedtoin
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KirkHanson/ethics

Foroneweekin2012,halfamillionFacebookuserstookpartinamassivepsychological
experimentaimedatdiscoveringifemotionscouldbespreadthroughsocialmedia.The
problem?Usershadnoideaitwashappening.ItturnsoutFacebookroutinelyruns
experimentsonusersinfacteveryFacebookuserhasbeenasubjectatsomepoint,whetherit
beslightmodificationsinformattingormajorfeaturechanges.

center/ethicsblog/businessethics

JustabouteveryInternetservicedoesexperiments,butthisonealteredusersnewsfeedsto
highlightitemswitheitherpositiveornegativeemotionalcontent,andthenmeasuredifit
affectedtheemotionalcontentineachusersfutureposts.

PublicRelations/ethics

Whileitisagreedtheexperimentwaslegal,criticsarguethistypeoftestingcrossestheline,
particularlywhenconsentisburiedinatermsofservice.Facebookresearchershavetakento
socialmediatoapologizeforthestudy,butthecompanysofficialstatementisthatFacebook
usersagreetothesetypesofexperimentsaspartofthetermsofservice.DoesFacebookneed
moreexplicitconsentforthistypeofexperiment?Forallexperiments?

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Kirk:Thebeautyinthisunfortunatecaseisthatitrestsattheintersectionofresearch
ethicsandbusinessethics.Whileeverystudyinvolvesinfluencingthesubject'semotionalstate
e.g.whichcolordopeoplerespondbetterto?thisexperimentwentonestepfurtherby
makingemotionalmanipulationitssolepurpose.Theproblemhereiswiththeblanketconsent
thatFacebookishidingbehind.Whilelegallypermissable,companiesshouldactinthespiritof
thelawandensureusersknowwhattheyaregettinginto:especiallywithexperimentsthatare

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http://www.scu.edu/r/ethicscenter/ethicsblog/businessethicsnews/20119/FACEBOOK:ThePsychologicalExperimentYouConsentedtoinFB'sTerm

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7/9/2015

FACEBOOK:ThePsychologyExperimentYouConsentedtoinFB'sTermsofServiceBusinessEthicsintheNewsSantaClaraUniversity

thiscontroversial.WhatrightdoesFacebookhavetoknowwhatIamfeelingasI'musingtheir
service?

TheGoodNews/ethics
center/ethicsblog/businessethics
news.cfm?b=490&cat=TheGoodNews

TopStoriesof2013/ethics
Patrick:Let'snotforgetthatFacebookisaforprofitcompany,offeringafreeservice.
WeshouldallanticipatethatFacebookwillgotogreatlengthstomonetizetheirproduct.A
user'semotionalstatewhileusingFacebookhasdirectimplicationsfortheamountoftimethey
spendonthesiteandhowinteractivetheyare:bothofwhicharecriticaltogetcompaniesto
payforadvertisingonFacebook.Yetthereisstillaconcernthatthisexperimentwasbeyond
thepale:ifemotionscanspreadthroughFacebook,canidealogiesandpoliticalviewsaswell?
It'sclearthatthelawisnotjustbehindonregulatingtheseemergingindustriesit'salso
behindonregulatingtheexperimentsthatshapetheirfuture.

center/ethicsblog/businessethics
news.cfm?b=490&cat=TopStoriesof2013

FacebookTinkersWithUsers'EmotionsinNewsFeedExperiment,StirringOutcry
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/technology/facebooktinkerswithusersemotionsinnewsfeedexperiment
stirringoutcry.html(NYTimes)

FacebookResearcher'sApologyhttps://www.facebook.com/akramer/posts/10152987150867796
AFrameworkforThinkingEthicallyhttp://bit.ly/ethicsframework(MarkkulaCenter)

NEXTPOST:Whendostartupshavetogrowupandembracediversity?
http://www.scu.edu/r/ethicscenter/ethicsblog/businessethicsnews/20069/STARTUPETHICS:WhenDoStartups
HavetoGrowUpandEmbraceDiversity?

PostedbyPatrickCoutermarsh

Comments
RushisaidonJul18,2014
Onthefaceofit,theFacebookexploitedtheintrinsicfaithitsusershaveon"honesty",
somethingwhichseemstocomeeasilyalongwithnonpersonalnatureofsocialmedia.
Butthereissomethingtobesaidofthepeoplewhopresentedthiscasefordiscussion.
Thepictureaccompanyingthecaseisitselfmisleading,designedtocreatenegativityofa
"psychologicalexperiment".Thus,theguyswhowroteandpresentedthiscasefor
discussionarethemselvesguiltyof"manipulating"aresponsebygivinganunconnected
picturetolinkitwithwhatFBdid.Asformanipulatingemotions,beitsocialmediaor
anysortofmasscommunications,isthatnotwhatitisbasicallyintendedtodo?This
particularoneissimplyperhapsvalidatingsometheoriesatFBandimprovingtheir
strategies,asortofmarketsurvey.Everyoneinanysortofpubliccommunicationsdoes
it.WhileclearlyspecifyingtoFBuserswhatwasbeingdome,howdifferentitisfrom
whatmedia,educationists,governments,andNGOsdo?ThereasonwhyFBneedstobe
moretransparentandexplicitistheaddedresponsibilitywhichcomeswithsheerreach
intermsofnumbers,diversity,geographicalspreadofitsusers,andmostbeingwillingto
sharethanwhattheymaydoinnormaleyeballcommunication.Like
javascript:ilike(4892,5)4peoplelikethis.
Reply

PatricksaidonJul21,2014
Rushi,that'sanexcellentpoint.Iagreethattheframingofthe"study"wasa
misstepforFacebookifanythingbecausethelackofaconsistentandupfront
narrativecreatedavoidthatwasreplacedwithblogheadlines.Nonetheless,the
studygoesbeyondnormalmarketresearch,I'dargue,inpartbecausethefindings
werepublishedaninacademicsettingclaimingadevelopmentinsocialpsychology.
Likejavascript:ilike(4896,3)2peoplelikethis.
Reply

w+JsaidonDec9,2014
why?Likejavascript:ilike(5036,3)2peoplelikethis.
Reply

shhhh!!!!!!saidonDec10,2014
thisisaverylonganswertoaveryeasyquestion,itsnotillegalLike
http://www.scu.edu/r/ethicscenter/ethicsblog/businessethicsnews/20119/FACEBOOK:ThePsychologicalExperimentYouConsentedtoinFB'sTerm

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FACEBOOK:ThePsychologyExperimentYouConsentedtoinFB'sTermsofServiceBusinessEthicsintheNewsSantaClaraUniversity

javascript:ilike(5057,2)1personlikesthis.
Reply

KevinGreenbergsaidonNov6,2014
Ibelievethatthisproposesaverybroadethicalquestioninvolvingtheobviousnessofthe
termsinwhichyouagreetobeusedinvariousconsumerexperimentswithoutbeing
informedyouarebeingobserved.Ithinkthatifthegavetheinformationandyouchose
toacceptitthenitisuptoyouinordertoagreeordisagree.Likejavascript:ilike(4981,3)2
peoplelikethis.
Reply

SamWallacesaidonDec9,2014
TheFacebooktermsofserviceisanagreementstatingwhat/canhappenduringtheuse
oftheFacebooksite.Ifpeoplehavechosennottoreadthesetermstheyshouldnotbe
complainingabouttheirlackofbeinginformed.Likejavascript:ilike(5040,2)1personlikes
this.
Reply

JaceCarverandWalkerLouthansaidonDec9,2014
Thisasksaseparatequestion.althoughitislegal,shoulditbe?theydoaskifyouagree
but,ifyoudisagreetheywon'tallowuseoftheapp.theyneedtobeupfrontwiththeir
intentionsinsteadofhidingthem.Usersdeservetohaveknowledgeaboutsurveys
pertainingtotheironlineprofilesandinformation.Ontheotherhandusersshould
expectthistypeofsituationwhenthedownloadandusesocialmediawebsites.Allinall
therightthingtodowouldbetomakesurethattheusersareawareofthesurveysthey
aretakingpartin.Likejavascript:ilike(5055,3)2peoplelikethis.
Reply

LindsayAllensaidonDec14,2014
Iagree,theywon'tallowyoutousetheapp.ifyoudon'ttakethesurveyandthatisnot
right.Ifeelitisanotherwaytogetmoreinformationaboutyouthantheyarealready
gettingfromyou.Theydonotgoindepthlikeinfineprintthatisused.Like
javascript:ilike(5063,1)
Reply

Ashwin.JsaidonApr26,2015
FromalegalstandpointFacebookdidnotviolateanylaws,buttheywereclearlyaware
thatusersarenotgoingtoreadtensandtwentiespagesworthofserviceagreements
beforemakingaprofile.Facebooktookadvantageofthatfactandslippedinthisclause
thatmadeusintotestsubjects.Ethically,eachofushaverightsandouremotional
intelligenceisourownandourstokeepanduseaswedeemfit.Facebookshouldhave
moreexplicitlyaskeditsuserstopartakeinsuchanexperiment.Likejavascript:ilike(5181,1)
Reply

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