The omnipresence of digital technology in our daily life, its use and its impact on organisations and individuals, raises ethical questions about its role in our society. These concerns include consent and privacy, security, inclusion and fairness, protection from online harm, transparency and accountability. Notable examples include the Cambridge Analytica scandal and concerns about racial discrimination in the design of facial recognition algorithms. Taking into account the ethical question is essential to ensure that digital technologies benefit as many people as possible.

Plum Consulting white paper explores the levels of ethical considerations according to the categories of digital technologies, examines the approaches adopted by the international community and details the different tools put in place by private companies. It concludes by proposing a balanced prospective approach based on one hand, on the social value of ethics from a business perspective and on the other hand, on the individual responsibility of users.