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Ethical Issues
Are users' privacy expectations met by our software?
Yes, we only collect users' phone numbers, which are securely handled through Firebase.
Users are able delete their account.
A user providing personal information like their last name, university, etc., is optional and not collected.
GPS location is based strictly on a general city area ~30 mile radius, so no addresses or coordinate location is used. - Might switch to region based like (i.e. New England, SouthEast, midatlantic) and timezones
Nothing like social media is collected.
Could the use of our software result in racial, gender, religious, or any other type of discrimination? How do we try and mitigate this problem within our software?
Users are able to match with others based on gaming habits rather than personal identity. However, we understand that harassment of ones personal identity may still occur as it is a random/live chatting app. We will do the following to prevent it:
For safety reasons, there is an optional filter that allows users to match only with individuals of the same gender.
Report feature --> Users reported for abusive or offensive behavior (such as Racism, Homophobia, Sexual Harassment, and other forms of discrimination) will be banned from the platform. As there is only one phone number per account, this ban is permanent. Each report will be reviewed and consequences will be dished out accordingly
Chat filter --> We will filter in our messaging system that can prevent a list of words from being sent in messages. Discriminatory and violent words will be flagged, the message will be deleted and linked to the account sending the messages.
Algorithm --> Users will have a saftey rating based on potential flags or reports from previous interactions.
Block/unadd Feature --> Users are able to unadd or block other users.
Can our software be abused by some users to cause harm to other users? To the public at large? How do we mitigate these problems?
Our software has potential for misuse by certain individuals which include but are not limited to:
- Cyberstalking
- Cyberbullying
- Verbal Abuse or Harassment
- Sexual Harassment
We have several ways to mitigate such behavior. First, users can choose to match only with individuals of the same gender if they wish. Next, users are able to block and report others for offensive or abusive conduct. Finally, we will permanently users who engage in such behavior and, when legally required, provide relevant information to law enforcement.