Ethical issue: lack of transparency

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Date:

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A free app tracks a user's location in the background and never tells them. Which ethical issue is this?

A Lack of transparency (hidden data collection)

B Good transparency because the app works well

2. Which statement best describes lack of transparency?

A People are not told what data is collected, how it is used or how a conclusion was reached

B Data is stored in a format that is too large to open

3. A bank's AI rejects a loan and cannot explain why. What is the transparency problem?

A A strong password policy

B An unexplained AI decision

4. Which privacy policy shows a lack of transparency?

A A 40-page policy full of vague legal wording that hides how data is shared

B A short policy in plain English listing what data is collected and why

5. True or false: A website collecting browsing data through cookies without telling visitors is an example of lack of transparency.

A False

B True

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1Lack of transparency		AThe result gives no reasons, so the person cannot understand or question the decision. It should explain the main factors that led to the outcome.
2Hidden data collection		BAn app quietly records a user's location or browsing without clearly telling them
3An AI system rejects a loan application but gives the applicant no reason for the decision		CPeople are not told what data is collected, how it is used or how a conclusion was reached
4A privacy policy is 40 pages of legal jargon, so users cannot tell how their data will be used		DThe wording is vague. It does not say which data is collected, what the business purposes are or who the partners are. It should clearly list the data, the purposes and who it is shared with.
5Privacy policy: "We may use your data for business purposes and share it with partners."		EUnclear privacy policy
6AI result: "Application denied." (no further information shown)		FUnexplained AI decision

Definitions

Lack of transparency

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

Lack of ____________ is when people are not told how their data is used.

Hidden data collection: data is gathered _______ the person knowing.

Unexplained __ decisions: people cannot see how a conclusion was reached.

An unclear privacy ______ hides how data is collected and used.

To improve transparency, tell users what data is _________ and why.

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A msg ← ""

B show(msg)

C IF agree = TRUE THEN

D collect(location)

E ENDIF

Question 2

A decision ← ai_decide(loan)

B reason ← explain(decision)

C show(decision)

Question 3

A terms ← list_data_used()

B policy ← jargon(terms)

C publish(policy)

Question 4

A IF feature = "photo" THEN

B collect_silently(camera)

C use(camera)

D ENDIF

Question 5

A request ← ask_what_is_held(user)

B IF request = TRUE THEN

C refuse(request)

D ENDIF

Answer Key

Ethical issue: lack of transparency

Section A: Quick Questions

A — Lack of transparency (hidden data collection)

A — People are not told what data is collected, how it is used or how a conclusion was reached

B — An unexplained AI decision

A — A 40-page policy full of vague legal wording that hides how data is shared

B — True

Section B: Match the Pairs

Lack of transparency → People are not told what data is collected, how it is used or how a conclusion was reached

Hidden data collection → An app quietly records a user's location or browsing without clearly telling them

An AI system rejects a loan application but gives the applicant no reason for the decision → Unexplained AI decision

A privacy policy is 40 pages of legal jargon, so users cannot tell how their data will be used → Unclear privacy policy

Privacy policy: "We may use your data for business purposes and share it with partners." → The wording is vague. It does not say which data is collected, what the business purposes are or who the partners are. It should clearly list the data, the purposes and who it is shared with.

AI result: "Application denied." (no further information shown) → The result gives no reasons, so the person cannot understand or question the decision. It should explain the main factors that led to the outcome.

Section C: Definitions

Lack of transparency — When people are not told what data is collected, how it is used or how a conclusion was reached, such as hidden data collection, unexplained AI decisions or unclear privacy policies.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Lack of transparency is when people are
not told how their data is used.

Hidden data collection: data is gathered
without the person knowing.

Unexplained AI decisions: people cannot see
how a conclusion was reached.

An unclear privacy policy hides how data
is collected and used.

To improve transparency, tell users what
data is collected and why.

Section E: Spot the Error

A — An empty message tells the user nothing, so the location tracking stays hidden. The notice should say what is collected, e.g. msg ← "Location tracked".

C — Only the decision is shown, so the AI decision is unexplained. The reason must be shown too: show(decision, reason).

B — Writing the policy in jargon makes it unclear to users. It should be written in plain language: policy ← plain_text(terms).

B — Collecting data silently is hidden data collection. The program should ask for consent first with ask_consent(camera).

C — Refusing the request stops the user from finding out what data is held about them, which is a lack of transparency. It should send(user_data).