6/9/2016 AsDataOverflowsOnline,ResearchersGrappleWithEthicsTheNewYorkTimes

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TECHNOLOGY

AsDataOverflowsOnline,Researchers
GrappleWithEthics
ByVINDUGOEL AUG.12,2014

Scholarsareexhilaratedbytheprospectoftappingintothevasttrovesofpersonal
datacollectedbyFacebook,Google,Amazonandahostofstartups,whichtheysay
couldtransformsocialscienceresearch.

Onceforcedtoconductpainstakingpersonalinterviewswithsubjects,scientists
cannowsitatascreenandinstantlyplaywiththedigitalexperiencesofmillionsof
Internetusers.Itsthefrontierofsocialscienceexperimentsonpeoplewhomay
neverevenknowtheyaresubjectsofstudy,letaloneexplicitlyconsent.

Thisisanewera,saidJeffreyT.Hancock,aCornellUniversityprofessorof
communicationandinformationscience.Ilikenitalittlebittowhenchemistrygot
themicroscope.

Butthenewerahasbroughtsomecontroversywithit.ProfessorHancockwasa
coauthoroftheFacebookstudyinwhichthesocialnetworkquietlymanipulatedthe
newsfeedsofnearly700,000peopletolearnhowthechangesaffectedtheir
emotions.WhentheresearchwaspublishedinJune,theoutragewasimmediate.

NowProfessorHancockandotheruniversityandcorporateresearchersare
grapplingwithhowtocreateethicalguidelinesforthiskindofresearch.Inhisfirst
interviewsincetheFacebookstudywasmadepublic,ProfessorHancocksaidhe
wouldhelpdevelopsuchguidelinesbyleadingaseriesofdiscussionsamong
academics,corporateresearchersandgovernmentagenciesliketheNationalScience

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Foundation.

Aspartofmovingforwardonthis,wevegottoengage,hesaid.Thisisagiant
societalconversationthatneedstotakeplace.

ScholarsfromM.I.T.andStanfordUniversityareplanningpanelsand
conferencesonthetopic,andseveralacademicjournalsareworkingonspecial
issuesdevotedtoethics.

MicrosoftResearch,aquasiindependentarmofthesoftwarecompany,isa
prominentvoiceintheconversation.IthostedapanellastmonthontheFacebook
researchwithProfessorHancockandisofferingasoftwaretooltoscholarstohelp
themquicklysurveyconsumersabouttheethicsofaprojectinitsearlystages.

TheFederalTradeCommission,whichregulatescompaniesonissueslike
privacyandfairtreatmentofInternetusers,isalsoplanningtogetinvolved.
AlthoughtheagencydeclinedtocommentspecificallyontheFacebookstudy,the
broaderissuestouchonprinciplesimportanttotheagencyschairwoman,Edith
Ramirez.

Consumersshouldbeinthedriversseatwhenitcomestotheirdata,Ms.
Ramirezsaidinaninterview.Theydontwanttobeleftinthedarkandtheydont
wanttobesurprisedathowitsused.

Facebook,whichhasapologizedforitsexperiment,declinedfurthercomment,
excepttosay,Weretalkingwithacademicsandindustryabouthowtoimproveour
researchprocess.

MuchoftheresearchdonebytheInternetcompaniesisinhouseandaimedat
productadjustments,likewhetherpeopleprefernewsarticlesorcatvideosintheir
FacebookfeedsorhowtomakeGooglessearchresultsmoreaccurate.

Butbiggersocialquestionsarestudiedaswell,ofteninpartnershipwith
academicinstitutions,andscientistsareeagertoconductevenmoreambitious
research.

TheFacebookemotionexperimentwasinthatvein.Thebrainchildofa

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6/9/2016 AsDataOverflowsOnline,ResearchersGrappleWithEthicsTheNewYorkTimes

companydatascientist,AdamD.I.Kramer,butdesignedandanalyzedwithhelp
fromProfessorHancockandanotheracademicresearcher,JamieE.Guillory,itwas
intendedtoshedlightonhowemotionsspreadthroughlargepopulations.Facebook
deliberatelychangedthenumberofpositiveandnegativepostsinthesubjectsnews
feedsoveraweekinJanuary2012,thenlookedathowthechangesaffectedthe
emotionaltoneoftheuserssubsequentFacebookposts.

Inanotherwellknownexperiment,Facebooksentvotingremindersto61
millionAmericanusersonElectionDayin2010.Someusersalsosawalistoftheir
friendswhosaidtheyhadalreadyvoted,andtheresearchersfoundthatthespecific
socialnudgepromptedmoreofthosepeopletogotothepolls.Thestudyprompted
sometosuggestthatFacebookhadthepowertoswayelectionresults.

Suchtestingraisesfundamentalquestions.Whattypesofexperimentsareso
intrusivethattheyneedpriorconsentorpromptdisclosureafterthefact?Howdo
companiesmakesurethatcustomershaveaclearunderstandingofhowtheir
personalinformationmightbeused?Whoevendecideswhattherulesshouldbe?

Existingfederalrulesgoverningresearchonhumansubjects,intendedfor
medicalresearch,generallyrequireconsentfromthosestudiedunlessthepotential
forharmisminimal.Butmanysocialsciencescholarssaythefederalrulesnever
contemplatedlargescaleresearchonInternetusersandprovideinadequate
guidanceforit.

ForInternetprojectsconductedbyuniversityresearchers,institutionalreview
boardscanbehelpfulinvettingprojects.However,corporateresearcherslikethose
atFacebookdontfacesuchformalreviews.

SinanAral,aprofessorattheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnologysSloan
SchoolofManagementwhohasconductedlargescalesocialexperimentswith
severaltechcompanies,saidanynewrulesmustbecarefullyformulated.

Weneedtounderstandhowtothinkabouttheseruleswithoutchillingthe
researchthathasthepromiseofmovingusmilesandmilesaheadofwhereweare
todayinunderstandinghumanpopluations,hesaid.ProfessorAralisplanninga
paneldiscussiononethicsataM.I.T.conferenceondigitalexperimentationin

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6/9/2016 AsDataOverflowsOnline,ResearchersGrappleWithEthicsTheNewYorkTimes

October.(TheprofessoralsodoessomedataanalysisforTheNewYorkTimes
Company.)

Somescientistshadbeenthinkingabouttheseissuesforseveralyears,butthe
discussionshaveboiledoversincetheFacebookexperiment.

Itsthecasestudywerealltalkingabout,saidLucyBernholz,avisiting
scholaratStanfordsCenteronPhilanthropyandCivilSociety,whoisorganizinga
conferenceinSeptemberontheethicsofdigitaldata,includingwhatlimitsshould
beplacedonitsuse.

MaryL.Gray,aseniorresearcheratMicrosoftResearchandassociateprofessor
atIndianaUniversitysMediaSchool,whohasworkedextensivelyonethicsinsocial
science,saidthattoooften,researchersconductingdigitalexperimentsworkin
isolationwithlittleoutsideguidance.

SheandothersatMicrosoftResearchspentthelasttwoyearssettingupan
ethicsadvisorycommitteeandtrainingprogramtoprovideguidancetoresearchers
inthecompanyslabswhoareworkingwithhumansubjects.Sheisnowworking
withProfessorHancocktobringsuchthinkingtothebroaderresearchworld.

Ifeveryoneknewtherightthingtodo,wewouldneverhaveanyonehurt,she
said.Wereallydonthaveaplacewherewecanhavetheseconversations.

Dr.Grayadvocatesasimplelitmustestforresearchers:Ifyoureafraidtoask
yoursubjectsfortheirpermissiontoconducttheresearch,theresprobablyadeeper
ethicalissuethatmustbeconsidered.

ForProfessorHancock,solutionscouldincludeanoptinprocessforprojects
thatinvolvebigchangesinanInternetusersexperience,andadebriefingsystemto
informusersaboutsmallertestsafterthefact.

Companieswontwillinglyparticipateinanythingthatlimitstheirabilityto
innovatequickly,hesaid,soanyprocesshastobeeffective,lightweight,quickand
accountable.

WhilesomewouldsaytherisksoftheFacebookstudywereobvious,Professor

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6/9/2016 AsDataOverflowsOnline,ResearchersGrappleWithEthicsTheNewYorkTimes

Hancocksaidtheresearchersdidntrealizethatmanipulatingthenewsfeed,even
modestly,wouldmakesomepeoplefeelviolated.

Helearnedotherwisefromhundredsofanguishedandangryemailshereceived
aftertheworkwaspublished.Theysaid,Youcantmesswithmyemotions.Itslike
messingwithme.Itsmindcontrol.'

AversionofthisarticleappearsinprintonAugust13,2014,onpageB1oftheNewYorkeditionwiththe
headline:UndertheMicroscope.

2016TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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