Data ethics: Lessons from situationism for a National Statistical Organization

Abstract

As National Statistical Organizations (NSOs) acquire, use, and disseminate information, they need to ensure that their practices do not disregard ethical norms. Understanding how these challenges can appear in the first place is essential to establish robust ethical practices. This paper shows how Statistics Canada is using literature on moral psychology, specifically literature on situationism, to put such practices in place. It will be argued that situational variables can influence morally significant actions and that important lessons can be learned to improve ethical guidance. This approach is attractive to the extent that the emergence of ethical challenges for NSOs does not seem to stem from a change in moral character of the employees nor from a lack of awareness of the relevant responsibilities or principles.