The document outlines the importance of teaching data ethics within computer science education in a digital context, focusing on essential ethical issues like free speech, privacy, and algorithmic bias. It highlights a case study approach for engaging students through practical examples and discussions, moving away from traditional lecture methods. The lecture from Miranda Mowbray presents innovative teaching strategies that foster high-quality student engagement in ethical dilemmas related to technology.

1. How to teach data ethics
in a digital world
Miranda Mowbray, University of Bristol

2. • Ethical issues relevant to the digital world
• Teaching computer science undergraduates & postgraduates
• Not research ethics / learning ethics (done elsewhere)
• Not Luciano Floridi’s data ethics
“Programmes seeking accreditation must cover and assess the legal,
social, ethical, and professional issues (LSEPIs) relating to computing.”
- BCS 2018 guidelines for accreditation
Scope / Context
2

3. Christopher Wylie
3
Photo Chatham House, from 2018 conference
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chathamhouse/42624320935

4. Christopher Wylie
Q: Do you feel responsible for what
happened?
A: I do feel responsible for it. And it's
something that I regret… it was a
grossly unethical experiment.
... you have a billionaire breathing
down your neck going, why don't I
have it yet, I've just given you tens of
millions of dollars, where's my
psychological warfare weapon?
4
Observer interview by Carole Cadwalladr, publ. 17 Mar 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXdYSQ6nu-M
Photo Chatham House, from 2018 conference
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chathamhouse/42624320935

5. Christopher Wylie
5
Q: You didn't ever stop and think…
actually I'm not sure about this?
A: Um, no. I - we were solely focused
on getting this data and doing this
experiment.
Observer interview by Carole Cadwalladr, publ. 17 Mar 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXdYSQ6nu-M
Photo Chatham House, from 2018 conference
https://www.flickr.com/photos/chathamhouse/42624320935

6. • Free speech, fake news, politics and government
• Law and order, war and peace
• Non-discrimination and inclusion
• Privacy
• Digital technology and the environment
• Intellectual property and open source
• Digital nudges for behaviour change
more…
The digital world
Some topics from UoB’s Computer Science in Society course
6

7. Ethics course I
7
Based on BCS code of conduct
https://www.bcs.org/upload/pdf/conduct.pdf
“What are the six Duties to the Profession
listed in the BCS code?”
HOW can you make this subject
BORING?
McNamara, Smith & Murphy-Hill, “Does
ACM’s Code of Ethics change ethical
decision making in software development?”
https://people.engr.ncsu.edu/ermurph3/papers/fse
18nier.pdf
Answer: no.
Photo eltpics on Flickr (cropped),
https://www.flickr.com/photos/eltpics/7550213772/

8. Ethics course II
8
Sci-Fi
Discussion of Sci-Fi books or films raising
ethical questions
• cool idea, unsurprisingly popular
• link to future professional life unclear
• some inferences may be drawn that
weren’t the ones intended
Myers & Abd-El-Khalik, “A ton of faith in science!”
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/tea.
21324
Alternative example source: Industry
Image tonechootero on Flickr (cropped),
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonechootero/4334225041/
Photo of page from flick-book version of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, 1927

9. Ethics course III
9
• compliance-based
• traditional lecture style
• not subject-specific
Very low student feedback ratings
• nothing to do with me
• or, told me nothing new
• patronizing
Photo Alex Polexhaev / sashapo on Flickr (cropped),
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sashapo/5499926931/

10. • compliance-based  values, outcomes, rules
• traditional lecture style  interaction, coursework
• not subject-specific  examples from relevant industry
Student feedback
• nothing to do with me  practical examples
• told me nothing new  dilemmas, debate
• patronizing  ask students to decide for themselves
How else to do it: suggestions
10

11. Recidivism prediction
Algorithm to predict whether a criminal
is likely to reoffend, so as to help
determine their sentence
What ethical issues might arise?
11
Photo mr_tentacle on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_tentacle/625998581/

12. Recidivism prediction
What ethical issues might arise?
• Accuracy
• Bias / non-discrimination
• Transparency
• Accountability / human in the loop
more
12
Photo mr_tentacle on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mr_tentacle/625998581/

13. • Ethical analysis
• Examples
• Discussions
• What you can do
Coursework:
- Individual short essay on consultancy scenario
- Group video pitch for start-up or social enterprise
Content
13

14. Uber’s Greyballing
• Identified police / local regulation
officers
• Showed them fake interface so
they couldn’t catch Ubers
Greyballing was legal
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/03/technology/u
ber-greyball-program-evade-authorities.html
14
Photo Automobile Italia / automobileitalia on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/automobileitalia/33017730995/

15. Uber’s Greyballing
Ethical or not?
WHY – outcomes, values, rules
15
Photo Automobile Italia / automobileitalia on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/automobileitalia/33017730995/

16. How did it go?
16
Too early to say, but:
• Unit director said he’d never seen
such high-quality and engaged
discussion by computer scientists
• Requests for student projects
• “I don’t normally think about this sort
of thing, but that was really
interesting”
Photo Sara / sarae on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sarae/119583616/
Original: mayoral election sticker, Ukraine

17. Miranda Mowbray, University of Bristol (on right)
17

18. customerservices@jisc.ac.uk
jisc.ac.uk
Thank you
Dr Miranda Mowbray
Lecturer in Computer Science, University of Bristol