Author(s)

Jingjing Wang

Corresponding Author

Jingjing Wang

Abstract

We are living in the Information Age, while we are benefiting from the Internet, some security problems like information leakage has become increasingly prominent. After introducing the concept of the externalities, I give two examples of information leakage – Baidu Netdisk and Facebook. Facebook – Cambridge Analytica data scandal is the key case in my paper, as this case covers a wide range and is known by many people. The second half of my paper is the reflection of information leakage, which contains the externalities and relevant ethical theories. The private rights of customers may be harmed by companies contracts, because customers may not able to notice that their personal information are being leaked and used. The problem of information leakage could be viewed from various theoretical perspectives in regards to ethics, such as deontology and ethical egoism. It becomes more and more difficult to regulate network security because of the popularity of the Internet. There are some solutions to information leakage such as government regulations, privacy laws, and business rules, but what’s more important is the self-protection awareness of the Internet users.

Keywords

Information leakage, privacy, ethics