5 code of ethics for technology leaders responsible

With the recent controversy involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, more and more pressure on the company data processing technology as a way to provide business operations and value to customers

This not only affects the companies operating in the field of online social media, that any company in the process of converting digital, including the company's application technologies and platforms new, such as unmanned aircraft, AI and other means of automation, to provide value.

Pressure is even greater for companies operating in these countries have no policy framework clearly digital. The main result is the ambiguity surrounding the larger decision and motivation for positive action is less.

Based on our experience working with companies and related groups, leaders are working to make the switch digital or are operating companies in the technology sector should adhere to five principles below . This is like a guide to help them make the right decisions in the face of ethical issues related to new technologies.

Do not automatically think customers understand all of what they are signing up

Whenever customers use free services, the terms of the agreement are written in a way that they do not necessarily understand. Because they often have psychological want to use the service as quickly as possible, they may accept the terms and conditions without reading them. Even when they read these terms, legal language is unclear or they are just people with average knowledge level. But when the problem occurred, these problems will go back with the leaders.

Think cautiously to help your customers understand what they are signing up. The most important is the use of simple language and easily understood.

Invest heavily in training ethics profession

All the technology companies need to do this. If you are a multinational corporation, staff should be trained to understand the cultural contexts and related sensitive. In a world of technology is changing rapidly, workers need to be more nimble with the ethical issues that may arise under different ways, whether cultural, legal or simply through awareness .

The multinational corporation can leverage diverse workforce of them to create peer groups to develop an ethical framework. This then can be used as a basis for employee training in multiple geographies and business context. Companies with workforce homogeneity but is working with customers in other countries or companies whose products and services customers in many countries, should be taken seriously this aspect to avoid problems arising later.

Consider matters moral right from the stage design

In the context of this new activity, the leaders need to think about how products and their services will affect individuals, organizations and even society. Consider the ethical issues right from the design stage is very important. This means that the predicted values ​​and ethics related to the products and services you will be different stakeholder groups how to use. Many of which can not be predicted, but some certain actions if taken early, can reduce the impact on later.

In the design phase, it is important that the participation of many other concerned groups together, who can not benefit directly from the product and your services, but they are the object can expand the scope of your business and make the assumption that you have not ever encountered. Companies often make use of the primary user to understand how their products can be used in many different ways. Currently, they also need to take advantage of the diverse stakeholder groups to understand how the product or service they may be abused or misused.

Do not take lightly the function of the legal team

Today, the legal team not only support function. They are becoming a part of indispensable functions of any IT organization. When the guide of a company providing services equestrian with misconduct with passengers, or when residents near Heathrow done flying a drone near the runway or when fraudsters abuse the background social media platform, the companies concerned must give answers immediately, with language and appropriate action.

These leaders need to understand this change and build the legal team can work in parallel with the design team and product management. The main drawback is the opportunity for innovation, as we have seen in the development of products in many different fields. The legal group presented constraints based on ethics and values, this can help product developers in mind the impact of what they are creating.

Co- operation with policy makers and shaped key frame probability h

While a number of countries and leaders they were actively put the policy framework to promote the application of new technologies and addressing concerns about privacy, many countries are now experiencing difficulties. Technology has no borders, products and services will ultimately be citizens use everywhere. If you operate in a country with no policy framework, it is important to collaborate with policy makers to better awareness and a sense of urgency.

As a technology leader, it is the best interest when there is a suitable policy framework in each market. It will help your business engaged in the development of society and the market. At a broader level, it's the way you collaborate with various stakeholders to shape the ecosystem to ensure equal rights.

To succeed in this new operational context, the leaders should adopt a system approach. The rapid changes in technology and scale their impact that businesses should have greater responsibility in protecting the interests of customers.

Summarized here are five rules that leaders need to take to ensure stakeholders have benefited from the development of new technologies:

- Be transparent, simplified and fair to the terms of use for customers

- Consider ethical issues right from the design phase of products or services

- Invest in building a common standard of ethical issues in organizations, particularly in companies operating multinational

- Use the legal framework and policies in an active way, as a business method, not only in crisis management

- Shaping the ecosystem to bring maximum benefits to the stakeholders.