How can we change ethics in big tech?

Let me know when you can solve for 1 or more of

- Human Greed

- A system set up on the principal of the more you have capital you have, the more capital you can acquire.

- The instinct to achieve "security" for you and your family

- Democracy being run on averages, and the IQ/EQ of the average person is frighteningly sub-par

- Ethics being an idea not a formula

- The instinct for most of our educated population to focus on second rate problems they are not in a position to solve

Then get back to us

Big tech is the least of my worries.

And in my observation is the most ethical amongst all kinds corporations.

I think people like attacking big tech because it's a soft target.

Meta using my messages to sell me more products of what I may actually like. It's isn't that evil.

Go look up what people in banking, oil, minning, spyware & manufacturing are doing. You will find murders, war financing, people being cut up with bone saws, people being enslaved by debt, people being bombed into bits while sitting in their apartments.

The reason why people don't talk about this kind of "real" evil is because the contenders are _actually dangerous_ they don't play games and most of us are spinless cowards.

The only reason there is alot of backlash on big tech because big tech is actually not dangerous.

If you want to improve ethics and actually move the needle look talk of people actually doing evil.

Only way to change corporate behavior is to change incentives. Government regulation and laws are the way to do that.

Apart from above accept that corporations are fundamentally amoral entities.

Be the change you want to see in the world

When people stop being excited about $400k TC it’ll be easier to have ethics in big tech.

Also “ethics” aren’t some monolithic thing everybody agrees on.

I have 0 issue with a company selling whatever data they have on me in exchange for use of a service I like. It’s a fair trade. I can’t monetize my data myself so I may as well get to watch a few videos or something out of the deal.

Can you be more specific what exact ethical rules are violated and who is the authority to decide the rules?

It is a cliche, but: education. I think most people don’t even consider that there are ethical arguments to be had, and merely accept whatever is given to them.

That and easy off-ramps for alternatives. “X is bad, so use Y instead” is a powerful move, but it only works if Y is actually a viable alternative to X.

Stronger laws, but that will only happen when corporation can no longer buy politicians via campaign donations.

Probably by realizing that people who work in tech are no better and not more moral than people working in any orher industry.

Tech worker unions?

As well as designer unions?

Basically empowering tech workers to refuse unethical work, collectively, without the threat of losing their jobs and becoming homeless.

And, sufficient diversity to ensure representation of vulnerable populations in the workforce.

For example, a product team having women in decision making positions is much less likely to ship a product lacking basic protections from types of abuse that only women experience - compared to a product team consisting of tech bros.

Mike Monteiro has a fantastic talk on the topic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIcM21l61TE

Start with the leadership and their intentions.

Ethics and technology have never really been close friends.

By collectively giving them an option they cannot refuse.

Behavior takes the path of least resistance in pursuit of a goal. That goal can be something narcissistic like adoration, learning, or fulfillment. It could also be something technical like systems automation effort in the present to reduce labor or risk later. None of that is ethical if it deviates from the goals of the business.

Before criticizing whether the business is ethical instead focus on whether your own work or conduct is ethical. It likely isn’t. There is no reason it should be.

Software has no concept of ethics. If developers were career limited to ethical conduct, as are doctors or lawyers or truck drivers, the business has fewer options to perform in an unethical manner.

Maybe big tech could try hiring for diversity of thought…

I don’t mean diversity on the basis of gender, ethnicity, or sexuality…

I mean, hire people who are experts in other areas other than tech as well… and maybe teach them some tech along the way because they’re working in tech, but hire them for the potential gains that can come from having people who see the world a different way, who have a different perspective and who are experts in other areas that are not tech.