Abstract
In our digitally-driven society, the balance between transparency and users’ empowerment is very significant, affecting everything from individual privacy to how organizations operate. Both my technical and STS research papers tackle this concept of transparency through different lenses, the technical showcasing how operational transparency in automated systems can boost users’ workflow, and the STS paper analyzing how a lack of transparency in data collection affects users and threatens their autonomy. Addressing these different forms of transparency in technology matters because it ensures user trust, promotes informed consent, and safeguards individuals’ rights.
In my technical project, I looked to address inefficiencies in the manual scheduling system of the support team at zyBooks by developing the zyShift Scheduler-Reminder, a Python-based automation tool built using Google Sheets and Google Calendar. The old manual process led to scheduling errors, missed shifts, and less productivity as a whole. Using the application programming interfaces (APIs) from the Google Cloud Platform, my solution automated schedule parsing, event creation, and the sending of timely shift reminders. The result was an overall increase in punctuality and operational efficiency of the team. Employees now had more transparency about their shift assignments, giving them clearer expectations and responsibilities of when they were supposed to work. The main evidence supporting these results included less missed shifts, fewer scheduling conflicts, and verbal feedback from the support team, who mentioned more satisfaction and reduced confusion with schedules. Potential future work on this project involves fully automating the schedule creation itself via constraint programming, leading to even more efficiency in the scheduling workflow.
On the other hand, my STS research looked at the absence of transparency in online data collection by companies such as Meta and Google, focusing particularly on ambiguous terms of service and the issue of implied consent. These companies use purposely vague language and complicated opt-out processes, undermining user autonomy by obscuring the extent and nature of data collected. I also analyzed cases like the Cambridge Analytica scandal to demonstrate ethical failures and how they impacted users with non-transparent data practices. My paper also talked about ethical issues where users’ data autonomy is violated due to unclear communication and insufficient consent mechanisms, leading to public distrust, economic imbalance, and even political manipulation. Ultimately, my research argued strongly for clearer legislation and more transparency about data collection, empowering users through greater awareness and control over their digital property.
My projects were successful at showing how transparency is a major component of responsible technology. The technical project demonstrated that increased operational transparency through automation not only optimizes productivity but also enhances a user’s experience. My STS research reinforced a need for transparency from tech companies by discussing the severe consequences of non-transparent practices, suggesting policy reform and advocating for explicit consent frameworks. Although my paper was successful in analyzing the benefits of transparency and advocating for ethical changes, I feel that it was limited in discussing actual future policies that could be implemented to help universally mandate transparency standards. Another limitation in my paper that I feel could be improved with future work is how awareness and education about this issue could be better spread to give users proper autonomy over their online data.
I would like to sincerely thank Professor Caitlin Wylie for helping along the way with my STS research paper. Her advice and direction were extremely valuable in narrowing down the focus for my research and helping me to find topics and sources to discuss. I would also like to thank Professor Rosanne Vrugtman for providing guidance with my technical paper throughout the semester. Her insights helped me refine both the tone and content of my paper, ensuring clarity and professional writing throughout.
