We need an ethical approach to data
Niel Bornman, chief products and services officer, GroupM discusses why we need to reframe our approach to data
Data is now a global commodity. It influences what we read on social media, informs us about the world and allows us to engage further with current events.
While it can encourage positive behaviours, it can also be the reason we’re served up misinformation that seems like real news. While people have the right to hold their own opinions and thoughts, the exploitative nature of misinformation creates divides around the world at a time where we need to be sure what we’re consuming is not leading society down a dark path.
We therefore need to reframe our approach to data to overcome the challenges posed by unethical usage of data and rectify it now.
Defining the data ethics issue
The first challenge is to understand what data ethics means within the media industry.
From there we can gain insight into how to align it with ethics. It incorporates three elements – transparency, accountability and fairness – and it’s important that all three are addressed.
The building blocks of ensuring transparency means gaining an understanding of what and how data is being used. Through that knowledge and understanding, we can identify and call out those who are using it to abuse others through misinformation and bias.
Part of the problem is that, while there is a general understanding of how data is being used, it’s so fragmented across companies and countries that no organisation could fully police it, meaning no-one is being held accountable.
Some have been caught out, and in some cases even shut down. But while some action has been taken, there’s been limited impact for these bad actors.
We also need to ensure fairness within data ethics.
It’s complex, especially when considering the implication of bias within the data itself. Combined with unconscious human bias, how can we realistically expect a campaign to be unbiased?
This has and continues to occur. In one example a brand used data relating to consumers’ locations to target different ethnic groups with its campaign. However, it didn’t take into account that the system it was using couldn’t recognise or assess whether that data was a fair representation of the target audience. It resulted in mis-presentation of the campaign and damage to the brand.
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The question then is where we set the boundaries, and how we can enable a more ethical approach to data that’s transparent, accountable and fair. That starts with making the value chain accountable.
Incentivising the value chain
We must think about how we can lead change whilst helping brands to grow. It requires conversations, sometimes difficult ones, to ensure everyone takes responsibility.
Incentives are also important. One is legislation to force change.
In the three months following the smoking ban in England, cigarette sales dropped 6.3% – a change driven by legislation. Since then, self-regulation has seen smoking decline.
When GDPR came into force, we saw similar self-regulation. In 2018, IAB Europe launched the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF), followed in 2019 by TCF v2.0 to support the entire value chain as it adapted to a new way of working with data that keeps the industry and consumers safe.
Such measures are significant, but we must continuously evaluate the best mechanisms to ensure we’re not just abiding by the law; we’re continuously being ethical in our approach.
It will require more legislation and further industry innovation, but we can maintain positive change if we constantly assess and develop tools that enable us to think ethically. This must be reflected across all industries, but advertising, given the level of influence it has, has a particularly important role to play.
Overcoming bias
To sustain this momentum, it’s important to consider how unconscious bias affects our actions.
One example could be assuming an audience appreciate being targeted by a campaign. However, that doesn’t account for factors specific to the individual that means they may find it offensive. If done wrong, reputational damage will follow.
We also need to remove biases from the data itself to successfully deliver campaigns that are fair and balanced.
Again, this requires measures and action across the value chain that reflects ethical standards. That’s why, in partnership with Unilever, we launched the Data Ethics Compass this year to enable ethical brand campaigns to become the industry standard.
Data ethics is complicated, but it does bring value.
By thinking and acting ethically through a lens of transparency, accountability and fairness, we can ensure campaigns will make a genuine and positive difference to the brand, its audiences and wider society in general.
Navigating this landscape requires collaboration to overcome the challenges of misinformation. If we fail to do so, more abuse will take place and consumer tolerance will wane. But if we can get it right now, we can optimise our relationships with consumers and successfully deliver campaigns for our clients.