Abstract
This chapter explores the concept of Leadership and Business Ethics through the evolution of privacy laws in the digital age. Business leaders are faced with an increasing volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) regulatory environment to operate in, particularly in the business activity of processing personal data. With the development of privacy laws and regulations aimed at enhancing the privacy rights of individuals, business leaders face ethical challenges in striking a balance between a citizen’s right to privacy and providing assistance to law enforcement agencies in combating serious crime (including but not limited to, organised crime, terrorism and murder) and maintaining public safety (including saving of human lives).
This is particularly complex in the environment that telecommunications service providers operate in and also presents significant challenges for global technology companies. It is likely that in the short to medium term, organisations will be subjected to enhanced regulation and businesses will be required to lead in a new way.
This chapter outlines the evolution of privacy laws in Ireland specific to the retention of and access to telecommunications data, it aims to demystify the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), examines a landmark privacy case - Graham Dwyer v The Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, highlights the importance of balancing competing rights, the rise in the role of Chief Ethics Officers and proposes a new social contract for the digital age.
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King, M. (2022). Doing the Right Thing: It Is in Our Power to Act and Not to Act. In: Flynn, G. (eds) Leadership and Business Ethics. Issues in Business Ethics, vol 60. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-2111-8_26
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