Social Shifts
University of Malta (Valletta Campus)
Mapping Healthcare Ecosystems in Global Contexts : A Framework for Understanding International Health and Medical Contexts
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kirk St.Amant
The concepts of medical, health, and care represent central factors to address when creating healthcare content for and sharing health and medical information with different audiences. Cultural perspectives of these ideas can, however, complicate the expectations individuals use to assess and use healthcare information. As the nature of healthcare context and related communication practices become increasingly international, intercultural, and cross-cultural in nature, individuals doing communication work in the healthcare sector need to understand and address such factors to create effective and successful materials. This study introduces a framework for identifying and addressing such factors when creating content for audiences from different cultural backgrounds. Called “ecology of care,” this framework can help individuals working in communication areas generate healthcare content that meets the needs and expectations of audiences from other cultures.
Legal and Ethical Issues of Face Recognition Technology Deployment: The Case of Clearview AI Inc. Withdrawal from Canada View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Francine Vachon
The development and calibration of AI applications, especially face recognition technology (FRT), relies on massive databases of personal information, pictures, and geographic coordinates. Legal and ethical ramifications may not be adequately analyzed prior to deployment. Moreover, what is considered legal and ethical in one jurisdiction may not be in another. This multidisciplinary paper reviews Canada's state of privacy laws pertaining to face recognition technology (FRT) and AI surveillance. To support this systematic literature review, the author examines the circumstances that led Clearview AI Inc. to withdraw from the Canadian market. Clearview AI Inc. provides face recognition technology (FRT) worldwide to law enforcement and private organizations for investigative purposes. To market its FRT software, Clearview AI offered trial subscriptions to employees of 41 public entities in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which purchased licenses in 2019. Following complaints, the Office of the Privacy Commission of Canada and three provincial privacy protection offices launched a joint investigation. They concluded that Clearview AI's FRT software and supporting database contravened several Canadian provincial and federal laws. Although it disagreed with the findings, the company voluntarily ceased offering FRT software in Canada in July 2020 and suspended its contract with the RCMP (OPC, 2021). The Clearview AI FRT case provides a cautionary tale of the risks for businesses of not analyzing properly the legal ramifications of AI application in a new jurisdiction.
