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MyBUS721SummativeAssessmentIndustryInterviewSummary.docx5
Summative Assessment: Industry Interview Summary
Gabrielle A. Miliner
College of Doctoral Studies University of Phoenix
BUS/721: Issues in Optimizing Operations
Dr. Amy Hakim
April 17, 2023
Introduction
The trafficking of individuals for forced labor, trade, and sexual exploitation has occurred for many years within modern society as in the past. While this type of illicit behavior is not new, the methods of how smugglers have carried out this task have changed due to modern technology. The methodology of how smugglers advance their actions has put forth the need for further advanced technology to fight human trafficking. As such, companies such as Google are utilizing technology within the cybersecurity community to combat this issue. The interview of Danielle Lambert, within Google's cyber security division, will shed light on the proposed optimization and any potential barriers. To ascertain the practicality of several preventive measures regarding human trafficking, Google employs respective measures that must be considered, particularly concerning ethical and legal matters of the intended optimization plan.
Interview Discoveries
The information gained from the interview indicates that it was apparent that Google has realized several initiatives to aid in the fight against the illicit trafficking of humans. Nevertheless, Ms. Lambert also notes they have yet to go as she believes Google can. The global partnership of Google and various law enforcement entities endeavor to provide information on known trafficking groups and respective nonprofit agencies to help apprehend human trafficking ringleaders and assist victims in locating protection and finding their way back home. Through our conversation, Ms. Lambert indicated that respective legal barriers that inhibit Google from providing added support within its maximum scope of abilities could present a substantial obstacle to the proposed optimization. Google's culture under Alphabet significantly improves the lives of as many people as possible.
Ms. Lambert utilizes Google's practice of exploiting the Android open source code and its related open source project that facilitate the functions of cellular phones and public knowledge, unlike its competitor Apple which does not become available to the public. Ms. Lambert explained that Google has various ongoing projects that are free to all since building for everyone is their culture, so affording information in moments of crisis through data and technology is at the forefront of such a noteworthy fight goes without saying. While the desire is there to do more, legal hurdles regarding data collection, such as the Privacy Act of 1974, California's Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), CDP, and the United Kingdom's GDPR, prevents Google from mining deeper into user activity to produce other facts to law enforcement agencies (HHS.gov, 2023). Ms. Lambert indicated that within Google's algorithm, known "hot words" such as adoption, thorn, craigslist, and united nations will detect and help fight against human trafficking. A list of words, phrases, or locations associated with child trafficking could be uploaded into a database, or used in an (android) phone, google search engine, emails, or other platforms such as a Chrome browser, which will notify local law enforcement (Lambert, 2023; Thomas, 2021). Although helpful, this violates some laws regarding privacy and, therefore, would not be legal (Franchino-Olsen et al., 2022; HHS.gov.,2023). Google's legal department works with government entities and lobbyists to find workarounds for these regulations without compromising Google's principles or integrity (Department of Justice, 2022).
Conclusion
The information acquired from the interview indicates that the optimization plan for Google is viable. Ms. Lambert conceded that Google is currently pursuing other pathways to support law enforcement agencies through their legal department to realize this goal while adhering to recognized legal guidelines. The issues of the plan rest with privacy laws that afford criminals identical protections as the victims, thus making it challenging to offer law enforcement relevant data necessary to bring the victims home. The theory of crafting a vision change, as presented in the week two coursework as the theoretical context utilized to support the optimization plan, is still very much germane for optimization. The theory of change is a high order or task in its implementation, generating a presupposing argument: if achieved, then these are the expected outcomes (Wildman, 2022). With the monitoring backdrop and privacy laws, Google must prepare each phase as an if-then proclamation to meet the pragmatic grounds of equipping essential data to law agencies while still acting according to existing laws. While foraging ahead with this optimization plan, it will be essential to pledge that the framework remains in force to forecast how any and every action projected would work in contradiction of legal requirements.
References
Franchino-Olsen, H., Chesworth, B. R., Boyle, C., Rizo, C. F., Martin, S. L., Jordan, B., ... & Stevens, L. (2022). The prevalence of sex trafficking of children and adolescents in the United States: A scoping review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 23(1), 182-195.
Gezinski, L. B., & Gonzalez-Pons, K. M. (2022). Sex Trafficking and Technology: A Systematic Review of Recruitment and Exploitation. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1-15.
HHS.gov. (2023). The Privacy Act. https://www.hhs.gov/foia/privacy/index.html#:~:text=The%20Privacy%20Act%20of%201974,other%20identifying%20number%20or%20symbol.
Thomas, S. (2021). Secret codes and language used by kids and traffickers. https://www.kgun9.com/news/human-trafficking/secret-codes-and-language-used-by-kids-and-traffickers
Wildman, W. J. (2022). Out with the Old, In with the New? From Conceptual Reconstruction in Philosophical Anthropology to a Realistic Theory of Change. In Relational Anthropology for Contemporary Economics: A Multidisciplinary Approach (pp. 181-199). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
