Would it be ethical for E-Kin to sell customer information? If so when? If so, what type of information? Why or why not?
No way! It is unethical and corrupt to sell customer information. In ethical and moral terms, it is wrong to sell customer information over the internet. And in that sense in general, it also violates the laws of privacy and communication which is applicable in most liberal nations around the globe today. Hence, it would be unethical if E-Kin sells customer information as a means to business gains or to cover cost.
So there is no question that E-Kin should sell customer's information or compromise with it. The best example in related case can be laid emphasis to "Google 'Buzz' launched recently by the Google, which is in course to rectify privacy issues that arose out of 'Buzz'." (Anonymous, 2010)
Should E-kin disclose to customers their privacy policy concerning customer information that is collected? Will this affect their credibility?Profitability?
Yes it is the right thing that company privacy policy should be disclosed to customers. In that aspect what's the idea of information then, if there are some hidden elements that compromises with privacy in between the lines.
Moreover, selling of customer information as a means to business gains can bring about situations, such as defamation suit, etc when customers have knowledge in any such unethical acts from the company part, since privacy is very important facets of people's life.
Compromising on privacy is not a question of trust or credibility, but rights - rights of privacy violated with the knowledge of it. And most importantly, the laws that will govern in that front also will be in favor of customers and loss for E-Kin if customer information are sold over for petty gains and can have long-term negative effects on company image.
What is the relationship between privacy and ethics in e-commerce?
Related to E-commerce, the relationship between privacy and ethics itself can be put more force to human rationality in the first sense. Moreover new technology in the societal sphere also increases new dilemma among individuals," (Lynch, 1994) but that does not mean privacy should be compromised that is reached through ethical debate.
Secondly, it is important to consider legal and ethical issue involving e-commerce, given that selling of information without the knowledge or consent of customers, which happens in most cases concerning E-commerce today, can amount to criminalization. And most importantly, culture plays a dominant part which also mirrors the relationship between ethics and privacy in e-commerce today.
References
