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INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT IN THE HUMANITIES (L93)  (Dept. Info)Arts & Sciences  (Policies)
L93 IPH 440The Ethics, Politics, and Law of Big Data3.0 Units
Description:This course will explore the phenomenon of "big data" -- the use of very large datasets that make new predictive algorithms and other advanced data analytics possible -- and provide students with an opportunity to think critically about the applications of new information technologies and to develop an awareness of their ethical and political context. We will begin by addressing the philosophical question of what, if anything, is special about big data -- what makes today's digital data ecosystems different from the ways in which scholars, governments, and businesses have used data and statistics for centuries. We will then examine questions about the ethics, politics, and law of contemporary information technology. Topics will include the moral philosophy of privacy; the theoretical foundations of American and European privacy law pertaining to big data; the ethics of using predictive algorithms in criminal sentencing and marketing; the ethical considerations that bear on academic research using "big data"; and differences and similarities between the ways in which computer code ("West Coast Code") and laws ("East Coast Code") regulate conduct. Readings will include excerpts from Ian Hacking's "The Taming of Chance"; Safiya Umoja Noble's "Algorithms of Oppression"; Cathy O'Neil's "Weapons of Math Destruction"; Evgeny Morozov's "To Save Everything, Click Here"; and Frank Pasquale's "The Black Box Society." Assignments for the course will include both academic papers and practical exercises, such as drafting a mock privacy policy for a tech company accumulating large quantities of personal data about its consumers.
Attributes:
Instruction Type:Classroom instruction Grade Options:CPA Fees:
Course Type:HomeSame As:N/AFrequency:None / History
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