Q. “In the digital age, data is not just a resource — it is a reflection of the self. To protect data is to protect dignity, autonomy, and the moral agency of individuals.” Comment.
ANS.
“Data is the new oil. It’s valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used. Data must be broken down, analysed for it to have value.”— Clive Humby.
Data has become the new oil or the most important new resource for society which has commercial, security and vested interest so much so that it threatens rights and liberty of people.
Data as resource: It is being harnessed to its best level by corporates, governments and social influencers. But it has become commerce without morality-Mahatma Gandhi which is a sin. Deepfake, algorithm bias, Cambridge Analytica and Operation prism in US are some examples.
Data is reflection of self: Today each human has his virtual human. AI generated human analysis of emotions and likes and dislikes. The origin of all is simple information converted into data and data converted into virtual human who is ready to be exploited-Deepfake.
Philosopher Jürgen Habermas argues that selfhood is constructed through communicative acts — in the digital age, much of that communication is online.
Loss of data privacy = violation of personal integrity.
To protect data is to protect dignity, autonomy and moral agency:
Dignity: When personal data is leaked, exposed, or misused, it humiliates, stigmatizes, or objectifies individuals — violating their self-respect and social standing.
· Positive Example-EU’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): Gives individuals the “Right to be Forgotten,” allowing them to erase personal data — a clear recognition of informational dignity.
· Negative Example-Aadhaar Data Leak in India: In 2018, names, addresses, phone numbers, and even bank details of citizens were reportedly leaked. This violated personal dignity, especially for vulnerable groups like pensioners or rural poor.
“Privacy is intrinsic to freedom, liberty, and dignity.” — Justice D.Y. Chandrachud
Autonomy: If data is used to manipulate choices (via microtargeted ads, behavioural nudging, misinformation), it curtails free will and decision-making power.
-
- Positive Example-Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (2021):
Requires apps to explicitly askusers for permission to track them — restoring user autonomy. - Negative Example-Cambridge Analytica Scandal (2016):
Illegally harvested Facebook data to manipulate political opinions. Citizens were unaware and unable to resist ideological engineering.
- Positive Example-Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (2021):
Moral agency: If people are unaware of how their data is used (e.g., in AI systems, surveillance, or war tech), they lose agency over their own impact on society. Consent becomes illusory.
· Positive Example–Norway’s Data Ethics Council:
Involves citizens in AI policy discussions — ensuring their ethical participation in digital decisions.
· Negative Example-Use of data for racial profiling by US police (Predictive Policing tools): Data collected from communities is used to justify biased surveillance — without the community’s knowledge or consent. This undermines their moral participation in the justice system.
All the three dignity, autonomy and moral agency demand Kantian moral duty approach to act in a way that action is end in itself.
Legal and Ethical Frameworks
| Framework | Relevance |
|---|---|
| DPDP Act, 2023 (India) | Enshrines individual consent, purpose limitation, right to erasure, and grievance redressal. |
| Justice K.S. Puttaswamy Case (2017) | Declared right to privacy a fundamental right linked to dignity and autonomy. |
| OECD Privacy Principles | Establish global ethical norms for transparency, accountability, and user empowerment. |
Conclusion:
In the digital age, to protect data is to protect the person. The society needs to evolve new age values like data ethics, AI ethics and AI conscience to tackle the menace. “Informed data use empowers citizens; uninformed data use enslaves them.” — UNESCO AI Ethics Report.
Spread the Word
